Laid Off Rockstar Games Employees Accuse Studio Of Union Busting, File Legal Claims Against ‘Grand Theft Auto’ Developer
After firing numerous employees — purportedly for sharing company information — said employees have issued legal claims against Rockstar Games for union busting, unfair dismissal, blacklisting, and more. All of this almost overshadowed Grand Theft Auto VI being delayed, which isn’t impossible to conclude is partly due to this.
RELATED: Rockstar Games Officially Delays ‘Grand Theft Auto VI’, Next Series Entry Now Slated For May 2026
On October 31st, Bloomberg‘s Jason Schreier reported Rockstar Games had fired thirty to forty staff across their offices in the UK and Canada. However, the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) claimed all the employees were engaged in unionizing talks.
Specifically, a union spokesperson declared the employees were allegedly in a private trade union chat group (via Discord), who were already members of the union, or were trying to organize at the company; later revealed to be called The Rockstar Games Workers Union.
The IWGB had previously criticized Rockstar Games for demanding employees return to work in the office five days a week, despite employees having previously petitioned against just three days in the office.
Per IGN, IWGB President Alex Marshall stated, “Rockstar has just carried out the most blatant and ruthless act of union busting in the history of the games industry. This flagrant contempt for the law and for the lives of the workers who bring in their billions is an insult to their fans and the global industry.”
“Despite this calculated attack on workers organising for a collective voice and to improve their difficult working conditions, the Rockstar Union remains undeterred. They will keep organising for respect and better conditions whilst continuing to pour their blood, sweat and creativity into games that are loved by millions,” Marshall championed.
“The IWGB will pursue every legal claim possible to ensure our members are reinstated and receive interim relief.”
Rockstar Games’ parent company Take-Two Interactive also issued a statement via spokesman Alan Lewis, declaring, “We strive to make the world’s best entertainment properties by giving our best-in-class creative teams positive work environments and ongoing career opportunities. Our culture is focused on teamwork, excellence, and kindness.”
“Rockstar Games terminated a small number of individuals for gross misconduct, and for no other reason,” Take-Two Interactive insist. “As always, we fully support Rockstar’s ambitions and approach.”
More details came on November 5th, with Bloomberg then reporting a subsequent statement by Take-Two Interactive spokesperson. “Last week, we took action against a small number of individuals who were found to be distributing and discussing confidential information in a public forum, a violation of our company policies.”
“This was in no way related to people’s right to join a union or engage in union activities.” Rockstar Games suffered from leaked images and WIP footage of Grand Theft Auto VI in 2022, along with the first trailer for the game leaking a day earlier than intended in 2023.
Speaking to IGN’s Wesley Yin-Poole, Marshall fired back. “Rockstar continue to deflect from the real reason for these dismissals: they are afraid of hard working staff privately discussing exercising their rights for a fairer workplace and a collective voice.”
“Management are showing they don’t care about delays to GTA 6, and that they’re prioritising union busting by targeting the very people who make the game.”
“In recent years, Rockstar executives have benefited from £443 million [$580.5 million USD] in tax relief, while showing total disregard for the law or the livelihoods of their staff. At every turn, they’ve chosen profits over both workers and fans of their games,” Marshall denounced. “The only non Rockstar employees in the union Discord channel were union organisers.”
November 6th saw protests outside the offices for Take-Two Interactive and Rockstar North. Organized by the IWGB, protesters were demanding the staff be reinstated and given back-pay. Along with reading anonymous statements from fired employees- claiming they were given no prior warning- even local politicians denounced the firings, and made similar demands of reinstatement.
People Make Games reports, in their coverage of the protests, that more than 10% of staff had signed up to the union before being fired; one of the requirements for UK law to grant statutory recognition to the union, forcing the company to recognize the union. Marshall told People Make Games that Discord conversations should have been protected by British Trade Union legislation, discussing “their material conditions at the company.”
Later that same day, Rockstar Games announced Grand Theft Auto VI was delayed to November 19th, 2026, from May of that year. This was after many years of speculation as to when the game would launch, and many other publishers and developers avoiding their games launching at the same time to prevent being overshadowed.
“We are sorry for adding additional time to what we realize has been a long wait, but these extra months will allow us to finish the game with the level of polish you have come to expect and deserve. We want to thank you again for your patience and support. While the wait is a little longer, we are incredibly excited for players to experience the sprawling state of Leonida and a return to modern day Vice City,” Rockstar promised.
While the timing may be eye-brow raising, it wasn’t until November 12th we’d see the IWGB declared they issued legal claims against Rockstar Games. Their legal team stated “We are representing employees who were dismissed by Rockstar Games in circumstances that we believe amount to victimisation and collective dismissal linked to trade union activity.”
“Despite our representation and attempts to meet with Rockstar to resolve the matter through negotiation, Rockstar have declined and persisted to terminate members of the union in a manner that is unacceptable and unlawful,” the team claimed. “Accordingly, we have now issued formal legal claims against Rockstar on behalf of the Claimants.”
“Our members allege that Rockstar’s conduct constitutes trade union victimisation and blacklisting.”
Marshall added “We are confident that what we’ve seen here is plain and simple union busting, and we will mount a full legal defence with our expert group of caseworkers, legal officers and barristers. Employers like Rockstar would do well to understand that private spaces such as trade union Discord servers have protections, and that their company’s contractual clauses do not supersede UK law.”
“This case stands as a warning to any employer in the games industry and beyond who thinks they are able to act with impunity against organised workers – we will not be intimidated,” Marshall defied.
Amid the firings even being discussed in the UK’s parliament, two-hundred and twenty Rockstar employees wrote to management, demanding the fired employees were reinstated. Protests occurred once again on the 18th.
