"That's unacceptable": Red Dead Redemption dev says crunch at Rockstar was to "put on the show"…

Former Rockstar Games developer Kris Roberts described the crunch during the development of Red Dead Redemption as the worst period of his career, arguing it was performative for executives rather than necessary for game improvement. Roberts detailed how expectations for working hours escalated significantly, leading to extreme sleep deprivation and a feeling of artificial pressure, especially when executives like Sam Houser and Leslie Benzies visited. This experience, coupled with the difficulty of communicating such demands to his team, was a major factor in his decision to leave the studio.

• Entities
• Crunch
• Red Dead
• Sam Houser
• Red Dead Redemption 2
• The Midnight Club
• Leslie Benzies
• Game Development
• Rockstar Games
• Kris Roberts