Back in January we were told that Leslie Benzies had left Rockstar after 17 years of service. Now we know that they didn't end their association on good terms as Leslie Benzies has filed a lawsuit against his former employers, Take-Two Interactive and Rockstar Games.
The former president of Rockstar North claims he is owed $150 million in unpaid royalties. His attorneys, Locke Lord LLP, have issued a press release where they claim that it was Take-Two and Rockstar who enticed Benzies to take the sabbatical before trying to force him out. Allegedly the Houser brothers tried to change the royalty agreement so they got everything, with nothing going to Benzies.
Benzies says he tried to return to work on April 1, 2015, nine months before his departure became official, but was told to leave by the office manager. Benzies terminated his employment for "good reason" the day after, claiming that the terms in his contract would allow him to do so.
Apparently they tried to settle the matter during the next nine months, but gave up in January. So, on April 11, Rockstar and Take-Two filed a suit against Benzies where they claimed that the reason for their "sabbatical enticement" was that he had demanded "exact financial parity" with the Houser brothers. According to them Benzies is in breach of contract simply by disputing the determination of the royalty compensation committee.
The purpose of the aforementioned committee is limited to the compensation of the Rockstar founders (the Houser brothers and Benzies) and a few other key employees. On the other hand, Benzies claims that they wouldn't have been able to finish Red Dead Redemption and Grand Theft Auto V in time without him. He even claims that Rockstar and the Housers threatened to blame him for delays of Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto Online.
Update: As you can expect in these sort of cases, Take-Two and Rockstar have made counter claim, essentially saying that Benzies resigned without good reason and thereby forfeited any claims to bonuses. Furthermore they are seeking damages and for Benzies to cover their legal costs over the matter. Here's the statement issued by the studio:
"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. 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. We do not intend to comment further on this matter."
To sum it up: Rockstar and Take-Two want the courts to make a final ruling about Benzies' departure and his compliance with the terms of the contract. Benzies claims the terms allowed him to quit after this treatment and still get his royalties. Where this messy breakup will go next is anyone's guess, but we'll keep you informed of any developments.