In October 2018, Rockstar North's founder sparked controversy over working conditions, after stating in New York Magazine that staff "were working 100-hour weeks" on Red Dead Redemption 2. It was later clarified that the statement applied to senior staff only, and that no one was expected to work overtime. However, former employees took to social media to highlight their experiences of overtime pressures.

Later that month, Kotaku released an investigation further highlighting conditions workers faced during 'crunch' periods, providing further evidence that workers are often compelled to work overtime, and often without pay. As a result of being on temporary contracts, workers also reported subsequent pressure to work overtime or risk being dismissed at the end of their contract. Rockstar acknowledged that employees had been working overtime, and stated it would "not stop working to improve" working conditions.

In September 2019, Kotaku reported that Rockstar Games had made steps to improve working conditions, including converting contract employees to fulltime and introducing 'flex hours' for workers to have more control over their hours.

Further comments from Rockstar can be found in the articles below.