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MMO Business Roundup: 2K’s layoffs, Indiana’s Roblox lawsuit, CCP’s rename, and the Tarkov effect
This MMO business roundup covers several industry developments, including layoffs at 2K Games' 31st Union studio working on Project Ethos. Indiana is suing Roblox and Discord over child safety concerns, while Escape from Tarkov's popularity is cited as a driver for the extraction shooter genre. CCP Games rebranded to Fenris Creations to avoid conflict with China, and Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick stated Grand Theft Auto VI is being developed without crunch.
GTA 6 was delayed to avoid crunch, claims Take-Two CEO, comparing notoriously crunchy Rockstar to college: "You do your homework, you don't pull an all-nighter"
Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick stated that delays for Grand Theft Auto VI were implemented to prevent developer crunch at Rockstar Games, comparing the development process to college homework. Despite Zelnick's claims, past reports and recent allegations suggest a history of difficult working conditions at Rockstar, including issues related to union-busting.
Rumor Mill
A rumor from PCGamesN claims that Grand Theft Auto 6 developers at Rockstar Games are experiencing crunch conditions, with employees reportedly working until 3 AM to meet a potential November launch. The report highlights concerns about the development environment as the game nears its anticipated release.
Rockstar Games QA analyst claims GTA 6 crunch has been ‘hectic’ recently in lead-up to launch
A quality assurance analyst at Rockstar India has described recent 'hectic' working conditions and alleged unpaid overtime in the lead-up to Grand Theft Auto 6's release. The review, posted on May 1, claims employees are expected to complete tasks in significantly shorter timeframes than usual. While acknowledging the anticipation for the game, the analyst expressed concerns about the toll on mental health due to the intense work schedule.
GTA 6 dev claims crunch conditions, with staff working until 3am as Rockstar push for November launch
A QA analyst has claimed that Rockstar Games is pushing its development teams to work until 3 am to meet the November 2026 launch date for Grand Theft Auto 6. The anonymous review on Glassdoor alleges overtime without pay and unrealistic deadlines, echoing past reports of crunch conditions during the development of Red Dead Redemption 2.
"This isn’t just something that affects Wizards of the Coast" - Magic: the Gathering Arena team vote to unionise for protection against layoffs, genAI and forced crunch
Developers of Magic: The Gathering Arena at Wizards of the Coast are organizing to unionize with the Communications Workers of America (CWA). The union aims to secure better protections against layoffs, address generative AI usage, and prevent mandatory crunch. This move follows similar unionization efforts in the gaming industry and aims to give workers more say in workplace conditions and equity.
The Last of Us led Naughty Dog to accept crunch is "what it takes to make games at our level," former designer says, so Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet devs are probably deep in it
A former Naughty Dog senior game designer, Benson Russell, stated that the studio views crunch as a necessary component for creating games at their level, citing internal deadlines treated as external ones. This perspective, reportedly solidified after the release of The Last of Us in 2013, suggests that overtime is considered inevitable for employees, with an option to leave if unwilling to comply. The article also mentions ongoing crunch for Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet and the scrapping of The Last of Us Online.
Former Naughty Dog Developer Says Studio Learned From The Last of Us That “Crunch is a Requirement”
Former Naughty Dog senior game designer Benson Russell stated that the studio learned from developing The Last of Us that crunch is a requirement for making games at their level. Russell explained that internal deadlines are treated as external, and employees are incentivized to work overtime, with bonuses offered for larger contributions. Reports from 2020 and earlier also highlighted Naughty Dog's culture of unhealthy working hours, with developers expressing concerns about the sustainability of such practices.
"There is a new narrative from haters," Off the Grid studio boss says of accusations Gunzilla haven't paid workers on time, claims full-timers' salaries "have never been delayed by more than a week"
Vlad Korolev, CEO of Gunzilla Games, has responded to accusations from former employees regarding delayed payments. Korolev stated that while contractors may have experienced payment scheduling issues due to cost optimization, full-time employees' salaries have never been delayed by more than a week over the past six years. He also defended the studio's intense work pace, comparing it to the development of a Call of Duty-scale project.
Portal 2 devs went through "nasty crunch" to get Valve's all-time classic out the door, partly because they kept "adding stuff" despite deadlines: "My wife was getting really tired"
Portal 2 lead designer Josh Weier revealed that the development team experienced "nasty crunch" due to continuously adding features despite looming deadlines. Weier mentioned that the intense work environment strained his personal life, leading to a temporary step back from the project near its completion.
OG God of War devs didn't expect the PS2 classic to take 4 years to make, but they "didn't know any better" and "crunched like motherf***ers"
Original God of War developers at Sony Santa Monica Studio did not anticipate the PS2 classic would take four years to complete, admitting to intense crunch periods due to youth and enthusiasm. While crunch is now largely discouraged, the article reflects on the extended development times of early titles compared to modern games and the ongoing discussion about work-life balance in the industry.
In an industry beset by layoffs and crunch, Japanese publisher Atlus is raising salaries and working to reduce fixed overtime
Japanese publisher Atlus is increasing base salaries for new graduates and raising the average annual income for employees by 15%. The company is also reducing fixed overtime hours from 30 to 20 per month. These changes aim to foster creativity, improve productivity, and provide employees with a more stable working environment.
