GTA 6 in 'final stretch' of development, but we're afraid there's a catch

Rockstar Games has returned to full-time office work for the final stretch of GTA VI development.

The next Grand Theft Auto game is set for a 2025 release, and while what we saw in the first trailer for the game looked fantastic, development on the title will be far from over. In order to speed GTA VI along and ensure it’s at its very best when it launches next year Rockstar Games has made some bold changes to its company work policies.

Check out the first trailer for GTA VI below

As reported by Bloomberg, Rockstar Games has asked all of its developers to return to the office five days a week. Rockstar, like many businesses since the COVID-19 pandemic previously offered the option to work from home but will now be taking that option away.

It’s said this has been done for “productivity” and "security.” Last year Rockstar was attacked by a hacker, resulting in leaked gameplay and screenshots of an early GTA VI build. Later that year the GTA VI trailer leaked early, forcing Rockstar to release it a day earlier than planned. It’s believed working from the office rather than home computers will decrease the risk of further leaks.

Rockstar’s Head of Publishing, Jenn Kolbe, said in a leaked email that "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.”

While this is great news for fans excited about the upcoming release, it’s unfortunate news for employees, who Bloomberg said “are not thrilled.”

Nevertheless if Rockstar hopes to deliver an open world experience like no other for the Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5 and eventually PC, it makes sense why it’s all hands on deck trying to boost productivity and reduce the threat of further leaks.

GTA VI will release sometime in 2025 for Xbox and PlayStation consoles, with an exact release date unknown at the time of writing.

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