R

Rockstar Games

Develops and publishes immersive console/PC games

Overview

Rockstar Games develops and publishes video games for home consoles and PC, with flagship franchises like Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption. Its games come as full releases sold physically or digitally, plus ongoing revenue from in-game purchases, DLC, and licensing deals for its IPs. The company creates immersive, open-world titles that mix narrative storytelling with large, interactive environments across major platforms. Its goal is to provide long-lasting entertainment to a global audience by delivering high-quality games and expanding revenue through DLC, microtransactions, licensing, and merchandise.

Significant Headcount Growth

Work here?Claim your company

About Rockstar Games

Simplify's Rating
Why Rockstar Games is rated
B+
Rated A on Competitive Edge
Rated A on Growth Potential
Rated C on Differentiation

Industries

Consumer SoftwareEntertainmentGaming

Company Size

5,001-10,000

Company Stage

Acquired

Total Funding

$1.5M

Headquarters

New York City, New York

Founded

1998

Get referred to Rockstar Games

See people who can refer or advise you

Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • ESPN and the Miami Heat’s October 2026 Vice City campaign expands GTA VI awareness.
  • Game Informer’s September 28, 2026 coverage highlighted advanced weather systems and deeper realism.
  • Preorders opened in June 2026, locking in demand before the November 19 launch.

What critics are saying

  • The Glasgow tribunal over 2025 firings runs through October 16, 2026, hardening labor backlash.
  • GTA VI has already slipped twice; another miss would shred Rockstar’s release credibility.
  • A failed November 19, 2026 launch would damage Take-Two’s finances and Rockstar’s core franchise.

What makes Rockstar Games unique

  • Rockstar owns GTA and Red Dead, two of gaming’s strongest evergreen franchises.
  • Its RAGE engine and cinematic open-world design create unmatched scale and realism.
  • Rockstar’s Vice City brand power now spills into NBA and consumer merchandising, 2026.

Help us improve and share your feedback! Did you find this helpful?

Funding

Total Funding

$1.5M

Above

Industry Average

Funded Over

0 Rounds

Benefits

  • Health Insurance
  • Company Equity
  • Performance Bonus
  • Flexible Work Hours

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

12%

1 year growth

12%

2 year growth

12%
Yahoo Finance
Oct 19th, 2026
Rockstar nearly doubles staff to 4,711 for GTA 6, with analysts eyeing $3B in sales

Rockstar Games nearly doubled its staff to 4,711 across 12 studios while building Grand Theft Auto VI (GTA 6), up from 2,441 when Red Dead Redemption 2 launched in 2018. The game, delayed twice, now launches on November 19 after more than eight years of work. Bloomberg reports analysts expect about 40 million sales and $3 billion in revenue within four months of launch. Even so, parent Take-Two Interactive closed Friday at $205.28, down 21.86% over 12 months. Take-Two guides to $8 billion to $8.2 billion in fiscal 2027 net bookings. Net bookings fell 3% to $1.39 billion in the June quarter. StoneX analyst Mike Hickey keeps a Buy rating and a $300 price target. Rockstar says it cut excessive overtime, though not entirely, and believes the work could shorten development of its next major release.

TurGame
Oct 15th, 2026
Love in Vice City: GTA 6's launch trailer trades party chaos for a Bonnie-and-Clyde love story.

Love in Vice City: GTA 6's launch trailer trades party chaos for a Bonnie-and-Clyde love story. Rockstar Games has released the official Grand Theft Auto 6 launch trailer, and anyone expecting another neon-drenched montage of Vice City excess is in for a surprise. Arriving just two weeks before the game's long-awaited debut, the new trailer is a noticeably quieter, more emotional affair - and it might just tell Turgame exactly what kind of story Rockstar is preparing to tell. A very different vibe for GTA 6. As PC Gamer points out, this one has "a very different vibe" than anything Turgame has seen from the game so far. While the record-breaking debut trailer in 2023 and May's story trailer leaned hard into sun-soaked hedonism - beach parties, viral social-media chaos, and party-ready needle-drop soundtracks - the launch trailer pulls the focus inward. It centers squarely on the relationship between protagonists Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos, the modern-day Bonnie-and-Clyde duo at the heart of GTA 6. Jason and Lucia take center stage. The footage lingers on intimate, cinematic moments between the pair: quiet conversations, stolen glances, and the creeping tension of a life built on crime. Lucia, fresh out of prison and hungry for a better life, and Jason, a former soldier who drifted into Florida's underworld, are presented less as action heroes and more as two desperate people clinging to each other while the state of Leonida threatens to swallow them whole. It's a bold tone for a series famous for satire and spectacle - and it hints that Rockstar is aiming for genuine emotional weight alongside the mayhem. Welcome back to Leonida. Of course, it wouldn't be GTA without the setting stealing a few scenes. The trailer sweeps across the greater state of Leonida: the neon skyline of Vice City, the swamps and waterways of the Everglades-inspired backcountry, roadside motels, airboats, and faded small towns. Familiar faces from the earlier story trailer also flash by, a reminder that Jason and Lucia's romance is only one thread in Rockstar's sprawling crime tapestry. The launch trailer wasn't the only bombshell. Rockstar didn't stop at the trailer. Alongside it, the studio confirmed that GTA 6 has officially gone gold - meaning development is complete and the game is locked in for its November 19, 2025 release. Even more surprisingly, Rockstar announced that a Nintendo Switch 2 version is in development and slated for 2026, a genuine shock for a franchise that has skipped Nintendo hardware for decades. It's a coordinated marketing blitz that signals just how massive Rockstar expects this launch to be. Where to play GTA 6 at launch (and the big PC question). Grand Theft Auto 6 launches on November 19, 2025 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. As PC Gamer is quick to note, there's no PC version at launch - a familiar sting for keyboard-and-mouse players. Rockstar hasn't confirmed a date for PC yet, though history suggests patience pays off: both GTA 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2 arrived on PC well after their console debuts. Console players, meanwhile, can get ready right now. Top up your PlayStation Network or Xbox wallet with gift cards from TURGAME.com, pre-order GTA 6, and pre-load the game so it's ready to play the second the clock strikes launch day. The biggest launch in entertainment history? The softer tone of this final preview feels deliberate - a confident statement from a studio that knows the entire world is watching. With the first trailer having shattered YouTube records back in 2023

Level Up
Oct 15th, 2026
GTA VII could arrive much faster than Grand Theft Auto VI, fans may not have to wait another decade for the new installment.

GTA VII could arrive much faster than Grand Theft Auto VI, fans may not have to wait another decade for the new installment. Phil Hooker from Rockstar Games has stated that the engine and tools used for the new game will allow them to "do things more quickly." With Grand Theft Auto VI set to launch in just a month, a last-minute delay appears highly unlikely. While fans are laser-focused on this new entry, many are already looking ahead, asking when the hypothetical GTA VII will actually arrive. While neither Rockstar Games nor Take-Two Interactive can pinpoint an exact date, developer commentary suggests that future sequels and other studio projects could move through production much faster than GTA VI did. In a report published Wednesday, October 14, Bloomberg journalist Jason Schreier shared new official details about the upcoming entry starring Lucía Caminos and Jason Duval, offering a rare behind-the-scenes look at the game's production history. Rob Nelson, Head of Development at Rockstar, revealed that the studio originally planned to develop GTA VI alongside Red Dead Redemption 2. However, the massive scale and ambition of the western epic forced Rockstar to consolidate its resources, putting the new Grand Theft Auto on the back burner for "several years." When the Vice City-set title was finally unveiled in December 2023, Rockstar originally targeted a Fall 2025 release window, however, developers realized the sheer complexity of their vision required more time. A primary driver behind the game's subsequent delays was the unprecedented density and complexity of its non-playable characters (NPCs). Realizing they couldn't meet their goals on schedule, Rockstar postponed the game and established a brand-new Los Angeles studio dedicated exclusively to NPC creation. Jennifer Kolbe, Rockstar's Studio Head, recalled breaking the news of the second delay to Strauss Zelnick, CEO of parent company Take-Two Interactive: "I think he said something like, 'I can't believe it! Please tell me you're joking!' But once we explained the reasons, he understood." Kolbe praised Zelnick's practical approach, noting that many industry executives would have simply demanded the team "find a way to make the date work." Despite the obstacles required to bring GTA VI to life, Rockstar Games believes it is now positioned to release future titles at a healthier pace, which means fans won't face another eight-year gap for projects like Grand Theft Auto VII or a prospective Red Dead Redemption 3. Phil Hooker, Rockstar's Technical Lead, expressed strong optimism about the studio's refreshed infrastructure: "The engine, the tools and the team we've built during this project will allow us to do things more quickly. I feel confident that we can build on top of this and go more sideways than upwards to build more compelling content." he said. This is good news considering that GTA VI took 8 years to develop and there was a 13-year-gap between the last game and its sequel. Aaron Garbut, Art Director and Co-Studio Head emphasized that the studio's internal overhaul is permanent: "We radically changed many things on this project. But that work is behind us now, and we aren't going back." Rockstar's situation draws parallels to the short turnarounds of the early 2000s, most notably when Grand Theft Auto: Vice City launched just one year after Grand Theft Auto III thanks to shared tech. Fans are now hopeful that Rockstar's upgraded toolsets will allow them to create games much faster. For now, Rockstar's immediate focus remains on the upcoming console launch, followed by the anticipated PC port expected in early 2027 and the rumored debut of GTA Online 2 later that same year. Editor and writer since 2020. I love fighting games and FPS titles, even though i'm terrible at both. In my free time, i enjoy drawing, watching movies or spending hours in Mortal Kombat's training mode. Comentarios. Inicia sesión desde el menú superior para dejar un comentario. Sé el primero en comentar.

TwistedVoxel
Oct 15th, 2026
Rockstar releases new GTA 6 trailer featuring music from Justice.

Rockstar releases new GTA 6 trailer featuring music from Justice. Rockstar Games has released the launch trailer for Grand Theft Auto VI, offering another look at Jason and Lucia's criminal journey through Leonida ahead of the game's November 19, 2026, release. The new trailer was captured entirely in-game on PlayStation 5 and features music from electronic duo Justice. The trailer's description provides more details about the story, explaining that Jason and Lucia find themselves in trouble after an easy score goes wrong. The pair become caught up in a criminal conspiracy spanning the fictional state of Leonida and must rely on each other to survive. The new trailer also features music from Justice, who composed the original score for Grand Theft Auto VI. Their new single, "Flower in a Hurricane", features Tame Impala, SZA, and King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard. The track is available on Grand Theft Auto VI: The Album, the game's official soundtrack, which is currently available to pre-save through major music streaming services. Physical editions on vinyl and CD are also available to pre-order through the official soundtrack website. Players can listen to the single through this link. Grand Theft Auto VI is scheduled to launch on November 19, 2026, for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. Rockstar Games is developing and publishing the open-world action-adventure game, which features a reimagined Vice City within the fictional state of Leonida.

Nuclear Coffee
Oct 14th, 2026
GTA 6 was originally Project Americas and covered "big swaths" of country's north and south, Rockstar reveals, in interview tackling crunch, delays, and leaks.

GTA 6 was originally Project Americas and covered "big swaths" of country's north and south, Rockstar reveals, in interview tackling crunch, delays, and leaks. Rockstar Games has revealed the original codename for Grand Theft Auto 6 was Project Americas, and that its intention was for the game to cover large areas of land in both the north of the country and the south. Discover more Video Game Guides Gaming News Subscription PC Gaming Hardware The information comes from a wide-ranging interview with Rockstar on Bloomberg, which charted the beginnings of the GTA 6 project as well as the notable moments since: delays, game leaks, trailer releases, and more. Bloomberg heard that Rockstar North co-studio head Rob Nelson took a group of staff to Miami in 2015 for the game's first research trip, and that Project Americas - as the game was then known - "aimed to feature big swaths of land across both North and South America", before being scaled down to Miami and its surrounding areas. The original idea was to develop the game alongside Red Dead Redemption 2, but as the western project grew in scope and ambition, Project Americas was pushed back several years. But lots changed after the release of Red Dead Redemption 2. Rockstar would nearly double in size, for starters - moving from 2,441 employees to 4,711 across 12 offices, the article noted. Rockstar co-founder Dan Houser, who'd written many of the previous GTA games, also left the company, prompting promotions for Nelson, Aaron Garbut, and Phil Hooker, who stepped into head of development roles. By 2019, Rockstar had the skeleton of GTA 6 and the dual-protagonist hook of Jason and Lucia living their crime fantasy together, but the more granular details and mechanical intricacies of the game took longer, especially when the Covid-19 pandemic hit, forcing people to work from home. "Trying to keep a team together through that is really challenging," Nelson said. Red Dead Redemption 2 also painted Rockstar as a company working with extreme levels of crunch - something Tom Phillips revealed in an investigation for Eurogamer. Rockstar acknowledged this in the Bloomberg interview, with Jennifer Kolbe, Rockstar's head of publishing, stating it was "a real moment for Rockstar to look at itself". "We all looked at each other and said, 'We're not doing it again like this,'" she added. "It's not been perfect, but it's certainly better than Red Dead 2 was. Anytime I say we haven't crunched, someone is going to say, 'I did.' And I don't want to get into arguments with individual teams or individual people. But I think we did things differently, and I'm proud of that." Bloomberg reportedly spoke to "dozens" of Rockstar employees who "mostly expressed positive sentiment" regarding what Kolbe said, acknowledging improvements in areas such as crunch and removing managers who were abusive or tough to work with. However, Rockstar is currently embroiled in an employment tribunal in Scotland after unceremoniously firing 34 employees - 31 of them from its Rockstar North office - for what it alleged was gross misconduct but the fired employees called union-busting. NuclearCoffee Inc. has been covering the tribunal's hearings as they've happened. It's expected to conclude at the end of the week. As GTA 6 began to take shape, Rockstar suffered one of its biggest setbacks ever, as a phishing attack gained access to the company's Slack in 2022 and leaked unfinished footage of the game. Aaron Garbut said in response: "It feels like somebody's wading through your dirty washing. It's like they're inside your head. You see your early work out there. Nobody's ever supposed to see that. It's really weirdly invasive. And so it's quite hard to deal with on an emotional level." As development progressed, it became clear Rockstar needed more time to finish the game. GTA 6's first trailer, aired in 2023, promised the game would be released in 2025, but Rockstar would move this date to May 2026 to allow more time. Then Rockstar realised it wouldn't be able to finish the game in time for that date either. Kolbe recalled phoning Strauss Zelnick, boss of Rockstar's owner Take-Two, to tell him the news. "I think he said, 'You're kidding. Please tell me you're kidding,'" Kolbe recalled. "But once we talked through why, he got it. And I think we are really lucky that he is as reasonable as he is, because a lot of people would say, 'You'd just better figure out how to ship it.' And we have been really, really lucky that we have not found ourselves in that place, because that happens to a lot of teams, and we've all played those games. It's not great." Rockstar did not comment on the ongoing leaks of GTA 6 footage by the group or persons known as Cyberleek during the interview. The article closed with Rockstar vowing its next release wouldn't take another eight years because "the engine, the tools and the team we've built during this project will allow us to do things more quickly", Phil Hooker said. Garbut added: "We foundationally changed a lot of stuff on this project. But now it's done, we're not going to rip it apart." GTA 6 is now finally due to release 19th November on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S/X, with a PC version reportedly due Q1 next year.

Recently Posted Jobs

Sign up to get curated job recommendations

Rockstar Games is Hiring for 25 Jobs on Simplify!

Find jobs on Simplify and start your career today

Don't see your dream role? Check out thousands of other roles on Simplify. Browse all jobs