Rockstar issues return-to-office mandate in the name of productivity and security

Grant Theft Auto maker Rockstar is telling workers to return to the office from April to boost productivity and security.

As reported by Bloomberg, the company announced the mandate earlier this week and said the move will enable it to more effectively polish Grand Theft Auto VI.

An email sent out by Rockstar head of publishing, Jenn Kolbe, said uniting employees in-office will put the studio in the "best position to deliver the next Grand Theft Auto at the level of quality and polish we know it requires."

In the email, which was seen by Bloomberg, Kolbe claimed it will also enable the company to piece together a publishing roadmap that "matches the scale and ambition of the game."

Rockstar has fallen victim to a number of security breaches and leaks in recent years. In 2022 the company confirmed a hacker breached its systems and stole in-development footage of Grand Theft Auto VI. The ripple effects of that attack continued to haunt the studio, with code for both Grand Theft Auto VI and Grand Theft Auto V eventually making its way online in December 2023.

At around the same time, the company's marketing plans were blown away at the last minute when footage from the debut trailer for Grand Theft Auto VI began circulating ahead of schedule. That leak forced Rockstar to push the official trailer live earlier than expected so it could implore fans to watch the "real thing."

Return to office mandates are controversial

Return-to-office mandates, however, have become controversial considering the pandemic, which saw many studios and developers become accustomed to working remotely. Some developers impacted by similar mandates at Ubisoft and Activision Blizzard claimed they made major decisions (such as choosing where to live) with the understanding that remote working was here to stay. Others have also claimed mandates don't accommodate disabled or medically vulnerable staff.

GTA VI is currently slated to launch in 2025 and expectations are high. The trailer alone has garnered almost 180M views on YouTube alone since debuting two months ago, and Rockstar parent-company Take-Two has hinted the project will help deliver a bumper year.