Rockstar: Work Weeks Up to 80 Hours Before GTA 6
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In summer 2026, employees at two Rockstar studios — Rockstar North in Edinburgh and the company’s India division in Bangalore — told outlets about overtime work ahead of the GTA 6 launch. In Edinburgh, workers describe a contractual waiver of working-time protection; in Bangalore, staff describe late-night shifts and compressed deadlines. The game is developed by Rockstar Games under publisher Take-Two Interactive.
What follows is limited to what the sources actually report: who is speaking, what exactly was said, and whether the company responded to the substance of the claims.
Edinburgh: contracts that waive working-time protection
According to Rockstar North developers quoted by Notebookcheck, work weeks before the GTA 6 launch reach up to 80 hours. One employee told the outlet that opting out of the UK’s Working Time Regulations is built into the contract as a standard condition.
The Working Time Regulations are UK law that, without an opt-out, caps overtime at 10 hours a week. By signing the contractual opt-out, an employee allows the employer to exceed that limit without separately agreeing to each instance.
The union: an opaque bonus system
The Rockstar Games Workers Union (RGWU) raises a separate complaint about the bonus system. According to the union, payout amounts vary significantly between departments, and management’s explanations often look vague or appear to be formulated after the fact, once an employee was expecting a different outcome.
What management did in response
The outlets cite no official public statement from Rockstar addressing these claims directly. The union ran a campaign informing staff of their right to opt back into Working Time Regulations protection at any point. In response, management simplified that opt-back-in procedure and removed a mandatory HR meeting that previously preceded it. That is a procedural change, not a public comment on the overtime claims themselves.
Bangalore: shifts running past 3 a.m.
The Indian outlet KhelNow reports the other side of GTA 6’s production, citing an anonymous Glassdoor review. According to the outlet, the review is attributed to an employee of Rockstar’s Bangalore division — an office that, per the same reporting, has the largest developer headcount among the company’s studios. An excerpt of the review was shared on social media on May 3, 2026.
The review describes the schedule as “hectic.” According to that account, part of the team stayed in the office past 3 a.m. after already completing a full shift, and tasks that would normally take 5-6 months were compressed into 2-3 months. The employee added that complaining to the head of department does not help.
At a glance: two studios, two complaints
| Studio | What is reported | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Rockstar North, Edinburgh | weeks of up to 80 hours, contractual opt-out of working-time protection | Notebookcheck |
| Rockstar India, Bangalore | shifts past 3 a.m., deadlines compressed from 5-6 to 2-3 months | KhelNow |
Both reports concern the period immediately before the GTA 6 launch and, based on the available sources, are not accompanied by an official Rockstar comment on the substance of the claims — only the procedural change in Edinburgh. This isn’t the studio’s only difficult story ahead of launch: earlier, laid-off Rockstar workers publicly asked fans not to boycott the game, in a separate labor dispute unrelated to overtime.
It’s worth being clear about the limits of these reports. Both sources rely on the testimony of employees themselves — quoted developers in one case, an anonymous Glassdoor review in the other — rather than official statistics or an independent audit of working conditions. That doesn’t diminish their weight, but it does mean these are personal accounts, not data verified by an outside body.
Frequently asked questions
How many hours do Rockstar developers work before the GTA 6 launch?
According to Rockstar North employees in Edinburgh quoted by Notebookcheck, work weeks reach up to 80 hours.
What does opting out of the Working Time Regulations mean?
It’s a contractual condition (opt-out) that lets the employer bypass the UK’s 10-hour weekly overtime cap.
Did Rockstar respond officially to these claims?
The sources cite no public statement on the matter. The company simplified the procedure for regaining working-time protection after a union campaign.
What is reported about the Bangalore studio?
According to a Glassdoor review, part of the team stayed in the office past 3 a.m., and deadlines were compressed from 5-6 months to 2-3.
Will this affect the GTA 6 release date?
The sources used contain no statements about delaying the launch over these reports; the release date remains November 19, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
How many hours do Rockstar developers work before the GTA 6 launch?
According to Rockstar North employees in Edinburgh quoted by Notebookcheck, work weeks reach up to 80 hours.
What does opting out of the Working Time Regulations mean?
It's a contractual condition (opt-out) that lets the employer bypass the UK's 10-hour weekly overtime cap.
Did Rockstar respond officially to these claims?
The sources cite no public statement on the matter. The company simplified the procedure for regaining working-time protection after a union campaign.
What is reported about the Bangalore studio?
According to a Glassdoor review cited by KhelNow, part of the team stayed in the office past 3 a.m., and deadlines were compressed from 5-6 months to 2-3.
Will this affect the GTA 6 release date?
The sources used contain no statements about delaying the launch over these reports; the release date remains November 19, 2026.