Rockstar: Benzies' claims "downright bizarre"

Today has certainly been an eventful day in the world of Take-Two Interactive and Rockstar Games. Word broke in the early afternoon that former Rockstar North head Leslie Benzies had filed a lawsuit against both parties, claiming that he's entitled to $150 million in royalties. The two companies immediately shot back with a counter-suit that says Benzies "resigned without Good Reason, [and] he is not entitled to any post-termination royalties."

Now GamesIndustry.biz has heard from Rockstar itself. A representative for the developer noted that Benzies had conduct issues and should not be looking to take credit for what the Rockstar Games team accomplished as a whole.

"Leslie Benzies was a valued employee of our company for many years. Sadly, the events that culminated in his resignation ultimately stem from his significant performance and conduct issues. Despite our repeated efforts to address and resolve these issues amicably both before and after his departure, Leslie has chosen to take this route in an attempt to set aside contract terms to which he previously agreed on multiple occasions," Rockstar Games commented.

"His claims are entirely without merit and in many instances downright bizarre, and we are very confident this matter will be resolved in our favor. A core ethos since Rockstar's inception has been the concept of 'the team'. It is deeply disappointing and simply wrong for Leslie to attempt to take personal credit for what has always been the tremendous efforts of the entire Rockstar team, who remain hard at work delivering the most immersive and engaging entertainment experiences we can for our fans."

The representative added that Rockstar Games will not be commenting further on the litigation.