rdr dev says rockstar crunch was for execs, not bug fixes

"That's unacceptable": Red Dead Redemption dev says crunch at Rockstar was to "put on the show" for executives, not to fix bugs

Caught this GamesRadar piece this morning about a Red Dead Redemption dev talking about crunch at Rockstar. Apparently the crunch wasn't even about fixing bugs, it was to put on a show for executives. That's wild. I always assumed crunch was at least about getting the game out the door, but this makes it sound like it was just theater for the suits.

The dev said

"I don't want to do this"

which is pretty damning. Like, imagine being told to work insane hours just so some VP can see a polished demo. Not to make the game better, not to fix actual problems, just to look good in a meeting. That's a whole different level of messed up.

Makes me think about GTA 6 and what the team is going through right now. We're all hyped for November 19th, but if the devs are being pushed to crunch for a vertical slice or a trailer or whatever, that's not cool. Rockstar has a history of this, remember the RDR2 crunch stories from a few years back? And now with GTA 6 being the biggest game ever, the pressure must be insane. I hope they've changed, but this doesn't sound great.

I know some people will say crunch is just part of game dev, but there's a difference between a final push before launch and crunching to impress executives. One is arguably necessary, the other is just ego. And if the dev is saying "I don't want to do this," that tells you it wasn't voluntary.

Does this change how you feel about preordering or supporting the game? I already preordered the Ultimate Edition, but now I'm second guessing myself. Not because I don't want the game, but because I don't want to reward bad management. What do you all think? Is crunch ever justified if it's for a good reason, or is it always bad?

Source: GamesRadar+ · Curated content.