Red Dead Redemption 3 Could Benefit the Most From Rockstar's New Workplace Culture

gamerant.com:

Rockstar Games' Red Dead Redemption 2 is widely considered to be a gaming masterpiece thanks to its vast map, stunning realism, and thought-provoking story. However, the workplace conditions behind the game's development led to an outcry from a lot of employees who complained of crunch time. Though crunch time is prevalent and frowned upon in the gaming industry, things seemed to be particularly bad at Rockstar, where there had also been reports of excessive crunch time with prior games.

Recent reports suggest Rockstar has turned a new leaf and will be striving for a more compassionate workplace culture with less crunch time. Though Rockstar has yet to announce Red Dead Redemption 3, this would be a game that would benefit most from the change, as the series thrives if developers have the time to give it the attention to detail it deserves. Furthermore, the company's push to be more politically correct could help it explore topics in America's history more sensitively than Red Dead Redemption 2 did.

Red Dead Redemption 2's Civilization vs. Frontier Theme Explained

For most of its history, Rockstar has had the reputation of being the one gaming company that is not afraid to push boundaries and court controversy. It has lived up to its reputation through franchises like Grand Theft Auto and Manhunt, which sparked public outcry and triggered legal action. Internally, things were also quite rebellious. According to a recent Bloomberg report, for a long time, Rockstar's work environment fomented a frat-boy culture where drinking and trips to strip clubs were not out of place. Furthermore, employees were exposed to crunch time, which is when long work hours are expected, typically during the tail end of a game's development.