Rockstar Games has expanded from 2,441 employees at the time of Red Dead Redemption 2's 2018 launch to 4,711 staff across 12 offices by 2026, with 4,020 dedicated to development and QA. Senior leadership, including co-head of development Phil Hooker, told Bloomberg that the engine, tools, and expanded team assembled for Grand Theft Auto 6 will enable future projects to proceed more quickly, describing the approach as going "more sideways than upwards" rather than rebuilding foundational systems. Co-head Aaron Garbut added that the studio made foundational changes on this project but has no intention of ripping them apart for the next one, drawing parallels to the rapid follow-up from Grand Theft Auto III to Vice City. GTA 6 itself faced multiple delays from an initial 2025 target, settling on a November 19, 2026 release after additional polish, with Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick reportedly responding to delay notifications by saying "You're kidding. Please tell me you're kidding," before agreeing once the rationale was explained. The studio has also dealt with major leaks during development, including a 2022 network intrusion and more recent threats from a hacker group possessing build footage.