GTA RTO | Grand Theft Auto VI creators force staff back to office amid countdown to game release - does this make sense?

Grand Theft Auto, or GTA, is arguably the most famous video game of all time. The open world console game gained notoriety since its inception in 1997, especially due to its controversial violence and adult themes.

The most recent GTA release was in 2013, leaving fans of the ecstatic to find out the series’ sixth edition is set to fall early next year. As a result, Rockstar Games, GTA’s publisher, has asked employees to return to the office full-time in the lead up to its hotly anticipated release.

This announcement has, reportedly, created some displease amongst employees, according to Bloomberg. And sheds light on whether it’s OK for employers to force staff back into the office in the run-up to an important project or deadline.

I’m not going to pretend to know what’s required of a video game developer in the months before the most anticipated game of the past decade, but return-to-office (RTO) mandates, especially during times of heightened pressure and an increased workload for staff, insinuates that being in the office is more conducive to productive work.