Where Are the Developers Behind GTA 6 Really From?
A new workforce breakdown reveals how Rockstar’s India studio has become the backbone of the company’s most ambitious project yet.
The wait for Grand Theft Auto VI has been long, loud, and legendary. But behind the memes, leaks, and hype, a quieter revolution has been unfolding, one defined not by gameplay footage, but by geography. A new data breakdown reveals where Rockstar’s developer muscle for GTA 6 is coming from, and the results tell a fascinating story about how global game production has evolved.
At the top of the list is Rockstar India, contributing a staggering 1,615 developers, more than any other Rockstar studio worldwide. The UK’s Rockstar North (1,285) and Rockstar Lincoln (910) follow, while the United States rounds out much of the rest, with Rockstar New York (750), San Diego (548), and New England (143). Canada’s Toronto (267) and smaller UK teams like London (176), Leeds (122), and Dundee (113) complete the top ten.
That’s more than a headcount, and it's a map of how GTA 6 is being built as a truly distributed production. For years, Western studios like Rockstar North were seen as the franchise’s creative core. But now, the data points to a shift in where the backbone lies. India’s dominance signals how emerging markets are becoming central to AAA development.
The UK remains Rockstar’s main home, housing five of its top ten studios, but the United States no longer holds the largest share of the company’s global workforce. In a business where production costs, technical expertise, and delivery speed shape success, collaboration across borders is no longer the exception; it’s the strategy.
This evolution didn’t happen overnight. Rockstar India has long contributed to animation, environment design, and QA for hits like Red Dead Redemption 2 and GTA V. But leading GTA 6’s developer count marks a milestone; the center of game-development gravity has shifted eastward.
Overall, when GTA 6 finally launches, it won’t just reflect Rockstar North’s legacy or American grit. It’ll represent a new global order in game production, one where thousands of developers across continents power the most ambitious project in Rockstar’s history.
Emmanuel Umahi
