Rockstar Games Software Engineer Interview Questions
& Process

Had a normal and simple first interview with a recruiter. Then there was an online assessment, it included two LC easy problems and a basic OO class design question. The next interview was with a team member and that's where things got bad. The interviewer seemed super uninterested, apathetic, and unwelcoming, like I could've done anything and they wouldn't have cared. They asked data structures and memory questions, not coding ones, varying from easy to a bit harder. Then there was another simple OO class extension design coding problem. I decided not to proceed because if the interviewer was their best representation, the company culture probably isn't great either.

The interview process was straightforward. It began with a brief conversation with HR. Following that, there was an online test featuring academic-level questions, including topics like Graph Theory and String manipulation. Brush up on academic terminology and common interview questions. Next, an interview with the team leads took place. They asked about 3D math, covering rotations and programmatic animation techniques such as IK solvers. We also discussed other games developed by Rockstar, potential improvements, and shared ideas. Although scheduled for an hour, the discussion extended to about an hour and 45 minutes. It was a pleasant conversation, and everyone was very relaxed.

I applied to Rockstar via Glassdoor and heard back from a recruiter after more than a month. Once we started talking, the recruiter was super helpful with setting up times and replying to my emails. First up was a chat with the recruiter to go over the job and company. It was cool that the recruiter was upfront about the industry 'crunch' Rockstar is known for and how they're trying to fix it. Next, I got a timed coding test on Codility that I had to do at home. The problems were pretty basic, not too tough, good for a first check. The recruiter kept me in the loop, confirming I got the test and replying fast after I finished it. Things got a bit messy when it came to scheduling a 30-45 minute phone call with the actual team. The recruiter prepped me with topics like C#/.Net, algorithms, and data structures, emphasizing that problem-solving and my thought process would be the main focus. However, the Rockstar folks called me late for the interview the next day, spent about 15 minutes on my resume, and then rushed through C# questions like 'What's the difference between X and Y? Okay, but what does that mean? How about C; how does C work?' in the last 10 minutes, ending early. After that, it was silent for over a week. I emailed the recruiter but got no reply. A week and a half later, the recruiter called to say it was a 'pass' from the team, citing my C# knowledge as the reason and suggesting I reapply later. I told the recruiter this interview felt unfair because it wasn't what I prepared for, and he seemed surprised, thinking there might have been changes to their script. It's a shame a promising start turned into a rushed and unfair experience.