GTA 6 delays linked to production challenges around vast number of smart NPCs

Rockstar reportedly delayed GTA 6 to address production challenges involving its large number of NPCs

Rockstar Games’ work on a large number of non-playable characters (NPCs) was reportedly one of the reasons behind delays to Grand Theft Auto 6, according to a Bloomberg report detailing the game’s development.

The highly anticipated title has been in development for more than eight years, with Rockstar expanding its workforce and investing in production to create what it aims to be its most ambitious game.

The company reportedly struggled to produce NPCs at the scale required, prompting it to open a new office and recruit developers specifically to work on the characters.

The report also describes difficulties during development, including a period when the team’s creative direction was unclear.

Phil Hooker, one of the game’s three development heads, said, “The pattern is very familiar. You go through a period where things don’t work, but you see snippets.”

By 2022, the project had begun to take shape after years of work. Rockstar also conducted research to help recreate Vice City, visiting Miami, exploring nightclubs, filming aerial footage and accompanying police officers to crime hotspots.

The game has been delayed twice, with the development team reportedly believing the additional time was necessary.

Jennifer Kolbe, Rockstar’s head of publishing, recalled approaching Take-Two Interactive chief executive Strauss Zelnick to request another delay shortly after the first.

“I think he said, ‘You’re kidding. Please tell me you’re kidding,’” Kolbe recalled. She said Zelnick understood the reasoning after they discussed the issues.

Zelnick has described allowing more development time as “a wise investment in time and financial resources” when it helps a game reach its potential.

Rockstar’s workforce also grew significantly during development, increasing from 2,441 employees during the Red Dead Redemption 2 era to 4,711, according to the report.

GTA 6 is now expected to release November 19.