---
title: "Former GTA VI and Red Dead Redemption 2 developer reveals Rockstar Games' secret to success"
description: "Former Rockstar North environment artist David O'Reilly explains that the studio's secret to success is caring for employees and avoiding layoff cycles, preserving institutional knowledge over 27 years."
date: 2026-11-11T11:45:52.676Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/former-rockstar-developer-reveals-success-secret
tags: [rockstar-games, gta-vi, red-dead-redemption-2, game-development, take-two-interactive]
author: "Alexander Buran"
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Former GTA VI and Red Dead Redemption 2 developer reveals Rockstar Games' secret to success

![Two characters with dreadlocks and tattoos from GTA VI on city streets](https://xab.info/media/2026/11/11/byvshiy-razrabotchik-rockstar-raskryl-sekret-uspeha-studii/byvshiy-razrabotchik-rockstar-raskryl-sekret-uspeha-studii-1.webp)

## Key Points

- Former Rockstar North environment artist David O'Reilly (2011–2023) credited the studio's success to employee care and a lack of layoff cycles.
- He stated that Rockstar preserved almost all institutional knowledge over 27 years, retaining veterans from the DMA Design era.
- O'Reilly criticized major publishers for prioritizing money over the actual games.
- The studio is not a flawless employer: hearings regarding the dismissal of employees over leaked confidential information are set for November 17–18.
- GTA VI launches on November 19, 2026, for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S; RDR2 sales exceeded 89m, GTA 5 reached nearly 235m.

Rockstar Games, a subsidiary of Take-Two Interactive, has maintained its status as one of the leading game development studios for two decades thanks to blockbusters like GTA V and Red Dead Redemption 2. Recently, in a YouTube video on his personal channel, former environment artist David O'Reilly — who spent twelve years at Rockstar North — explained what really drives the British studio's sustained success.

### A journey through three generations of hits

David O'Reilly worked at Rockstar North from 2011 to 2023, contributing to GTA V, Red Dead Redemption 2, and the upcoming GTA VI. According to him, he is frequently asked about the secret behind the studio's success, and his answer is straightforward: caring for employees and avoiding the mass layoff cycles prevalent throughout the gaming industry.

### Institutional knowledge as the ultimate asset

O'Reilly estimates that this approach allowed Rockstar to preserve «virtually all of its institutional knowledge» over the past 27 years. The team still includes veterans who date back to DMA Design, the studio's name prior to its rebranding in 2002. «Your long-term employees are the institutional knowledge base,» the former developer emphasized, adding that major publishers like Sony and Microsoft «don't understand» this principle because they prioritize money over games themselves.

### An imperfect workplace

At the same time, O'Reilly did not paint Rockstar as an ideal employer. In recent months, the studio has been dealing with the fallout from firing employees who discussed confidential information on a public platform. Final hearings on the matter are scheduled for November 17 and 18, right on the eve of the GTA VI release.

### GTA VI release and commercial context

GTA VI is set to launch on November 19, 2026, primarily for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. The release arrives amid fresh quarterly figures from Take-Two: as of September 30, 2026, Red Dead Redemption 2 sales have surpassed 89 million copies, the entire Red Dead Redemption franchise exceeds 118 million copies, and GTA 5 has reached nearly 235 million copies since its 2013 debut. It is against this massive commercial backdrop that O'Reilly's insights into Rockstar's development culture carry extra weight.

## Fact-Check & Sources

- [Бывший разработчик GTA VI и Red Dead Redemption 2 раскрыл секрет успеха Rockstar Games](https://3dnews.ru/1151139) - Primary source: interview with David O'Reilly (tenure 2011–2023), thesis on employee care, quote about Sony/Microsoft, hearing dates Nov 17–18 and GTA VI release on Nov 19, 2026.
- [Бывший разработчик GTA VI и Red Dead Redemption 2 раскрыл секрет успеха Rockstar Games](https://3dnews.ru/1151139/bivshiy-razrabotchik-gta-vi-i-red-dead-redemption-2-raskril-sekret-uspeha-rockstar-games) - Первоисточник: интервью Дэвида О'Райли, стаж 2011–2023, тезис о заботе о сотрудниках, цитата о Sony/Microsoft, даты слушаний 17–18.11 и релиза GTA VI 19.11.2026.
- [GTA 6 позаимствует механики из Red Dead Redemption 2: детали от бывшего разработчика](https://itc.ua/news/gta-6-pozaymstvuet-mehanyky-yz-red-dead-redemption-2-detaly-ot-byvshego-razrabotchyka/) - Подтверждено по источнику itc.ua
- [Red Dead Redemption 2 разошлась тиражом более 89 миллионов копий, у франшизы GTA почти 500 миллионов](https://shazoo.ru/2026/11/10/193830/red-dead-redemption-2-razoslas-tirazom-bolee-89-millionov-kopii-u-fransizy-gta-pocti-500-millionov) - Take-Two quarterly report as of Sept 30, 2026: RDR2 >89m, RDR series >118m, GTA 5 ~235m; GTA 6 release next week.

## FAQ

### Who revealed Rockstar Games' secret to success?

David O'Reilly, a former Rockstar North environment artist who worked at the studio from 2011 to 2023 on GTA V, Red Dead Redemption 2, and GTA VI.

### What is the studio's secret to success, according to him?

Caring for employees and avoiding the industry-standard layoff cycles, which helped preserve institutional knowledge over 27 years.

### When will GTA VI be released?

November 19, 2026, primarily for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.

### Is Rockstar an ideal workplace?

No. O'Reilly noted that the studio is not perfect, pointing to recent months spent dealing with employee firings over leaked confidential information, with final hearings slated for November 17–18, 2026.