Red Dead Redemption Developer Calls Working at Rockstar Unacceptable

The final six months of development on the original Red Dead Redemption involved near-continuous crunch, according to former Rockstar Games designer Kris Roberts.

Rockstar Games has faced accusations of severe employee overwork for years. Roberts, who worked on the multiplayer mode for the first Red Dead Redemption, described the last stretch of the project as the most grueling period of his career.

Roberts noted that the team initially worked standard hours before mandatory Saturdays were introduced. As the release date drew closer, Sundays were added as well, leaving the developers with virtually no days off.

The motivation behind the overtime policy caused particular frustration. Roberts said mandatory crunch was frequently scheduled ahead of visits by top Rockstar executives, including Sam Houser and Leslie Benzies. According to Roberts, the goal was not to resolve critical bugs, but to create the appearance that the studio was working at maximum capacity around the clock.

Roberts recalled receiving a notice on a Friday requiring staff to report to work on Sunday, disrupting preexisting family plans. Calling the practice “unacceptable,” Roberts explained that having to pass those directives down to his team ultimately served as one of the reasons he left Rockstar.

Source: iXBT.games