News
Rockstar tells Bloomberg how GTA VI got made: 4,711 staff, an LA studio for NPCs and a no-crunch pledge
In an on-record interview with Bloomberg's Jason Schreier, Rockstar's leaders describe how GTA VI was built: a staff of 4,711 across 12 offices, a Los Angeles studio set up only for NPCs, a pledge not to finish the game by crunching, and an opening for a union. The game launches on consoles November 19, 2026.
Key points
- Rockstar's leaders gave Bloomberg's Jason Schreier an on-record interview about GTA VI's development.
- Rockstar now has 4,711 staff across 12 offices, up from 2,441 when Red Dead Redemption 2 shipped in 2018, per Bloomberg.
- Rockstar built a Los Angeles studio of writers, producers and directors just for NPCs.
- Publishing head Jennifer Kolbe: "We're not going to finish this game by crunching." On a union: "If they want a union, they will have a union."
- GTA VI launches November 19, 2026, on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.
Rockstar Games has given a rare look inside the making of Grand Theft Auto VI. In a Bloomberg Businessweek feature published October 14, reporter Jason Schreier spent a day at Rockstar North in Edinburgh with publishing head Jennifer Kolbe and the three heads of development, Rob Nelson, Phil Hooker and Aaron Garbut. Bloomberg calls it the first time Rockstar has openly discussed the development challenges behind the game.
A studio that nearly doubled
Rockstar now has 4,711 staff across 12 offices. Bloomberg reports the company had 2,441 employees when Red Dead Redemption 2 shipped in 2018. According to Bloomberg, the game has been in development for more than eight years and was delayed twice, from 2025 to May 2026 and then to November. Bloomberg also reports that the project, codenamed “Project Americas”, once covered large parts of North and South America before it was cut back to Miami and its surroundings, and that several senior staff left after Red Dead Redemption 2, including co-founder Dan Houser.
An LA studio just for NPCs
To fill the world with characters, Rockstar set up a Los Angeles studio of writers, producers and directors dedicated solely to NPCs. “The projections they were giving us were horrifying,” Nelson told Bloomberg.
Crunch and a union
“I said, ‘We’re not going to finish this game by crunching,’” Kolbe told Bloomberg. Bloomberg reports that the studio’s policies included paid time off for extra hours worked.
On organized labor, Bloomberg reports that Rockstar fired 34 people last year, most of whom were part of a group trying to form a union. Rockstar disputes that it was union-busting. Bloomberg says the group asked for voluntary recognition over the summer and now meets with management weekly. Kolbe’s position: “So if they want a union, they will have a union.”
What is official, and what is not
Rockstar’s GTA VI page lists November 19, 2026, on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. Bloomberg’s feature does not mention a PC version. Separately, GTA VI is reportedly coming to PC in the first quarter of 2027, per GamesBeat, citing anonymous sources; Rockstar did not comment.
Questions and answers
- What did Rockstar tell Bloomberg about GTA VI?
- In an interview with Jason Schreier, Rockstar's leaders discussed the studio's growth to 4,711 staff, a Los Angeles studio dedicated to NPCs, their stance on crunch, and a group seeking a union.
- When does GTA VI come out?
- November 19, 2026, on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, according to Rockstar Games.
- Is GTA VI coming to PC?
- Not announced. GamesBeat reports, citing anonymous sources, that a PC version is planned for Q1 2027. Rockstar did not comment, and Bloomberg's feature does not mention PC.
Sources
Also from the Club: preview Issue 1 — November Pressure.
