Part 8/10:
The timing of this shift is especially sensitive given the ongoing layoffs. Many workers at other studios have been laid off in massive numbers, sometimes in the hundreds or thousands, leaving a large pool of unemployed professionals eager for opportunities. Ironically, some employees who remain at companies like Rockstar are now protesting having to return to physical offices, despite their colleagues losing jobs elsewhere.
This dynamic underscores a brutal reality: many who still have employment consider themselves fortunate and are willing to meet demands, even if it means adjusting to new policies. Others, however, see the return-to-office mandate as an unnecessary upheaval that threatens their work-life balance and mental health.