Red Dead Redemption 2 players think they found a hidden message about crunch
It looks like Rockstar left a relatively hidden in-game reference to the studio's work conditions during the development of Red Dead Redemption 2.
On the Red Dead Redemption 2 sub-Reddit, players noticed a particular line that they believe is referring to the studio's reported long work weeks and forced overtime.
If you played the game, you'll know that browsing for weapons at gun stores brings up a neat menu modelled after real catalogues. In this case, the page for the Cattleman Revolver advertises the weapon's best qualities.
Then, hidden with the first paragraph - which many likely gloss over - is this sentence: "It is made by skilled laborers who work tireless hours each week and on the weekends for little pay in order to the finest revolver in the field today."
It's hard not to read too much into it, especially in light of recent reports about Rockstar's culture of crunch. Though some at the studio are happy to be there, it's clear work conditions haven't been ideal for many.
Developers were reportedly asked to work over the standard 40 hours per week, and anonymous reports paint a picture of a place where workers are encouraged to put in overtime regularly with things like working hours leaderboards.
Of course, this could just be a simple bit of world building, but that's not what most will come away thinking.
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