Rockstar tells Grand Theft Auto 6 developers to return to office full-time
For security and productivity reasons.
Employees at Rockstar have been asked to return to the office five days a week, now that GTA 6 enters its final year of development.
As reported by Bloomberg, an email sent to staff by Rockstar's head of publishing Jenn Kolbe stated the decision to end hybrid work was made - in part - with security reasons in mind.
Rockstar was the subject of a high profile hack in 2022, in which over 90 screenshots and videos were released online showing work on the then unannounced GTA 6. Then, last year, the studio released its first official GTA 6 trailer ahead of schedule, after it too leaked online.
In addition to the aforementioned security measures, Rockstar also cited productivity as a reason for its staff to return to the office full time. Kolbe said there were "tangible benefits" to be gained from in-person work.
"Making these changes now puts us in the best position to deliver the next Grand Theft Auto at the level of quality and polish we know it requires, along with a publishing roadmap that matches the scale and ambition of the game," Kolbe wrote.
These changes are expected to come into effect in April. According to Bloomberg's Jason Schreier, staff are unhappy with this decision. Eurogamer has asked Rockstar for further comment.
GTA 6 is scheduled to launch in 2025 on both Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5. Rockstar is yet to give a timeframe for a PC release. For more on the game, here's everything we know about GTA 6 so far.