Rockstar Games, the developer behind the award-winning Grand Theft Auto franchise, is facing mounting pressure after UK-based unions accused the company of deliberately blocking unionisation efforts.
The Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB), which represents workers across the gaming sector, said 31 employees from Rockstar’s UK studios were dismissed on October 30 for participating in “private, union-affiliated discussions”.
‘Grand Theft Employment’
Rallying outside Rockstar’s London and Edinburgh offices, picketers led by IWGB were seen carrying placards with displays saying, “Grand Theft Employment” and “Union busted?”
The organisation said that the dismissals are a “blatant and ruthless act of union busting.”
“They’ve been fired, we believe, because they’re union members – which is a protected activity in the UK,” said union organiser Fred Carter.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, one of the dismissed employees confirmed the allegations.
“It’s clear to everyone close to this situation that this is a blatant, unapologetic act of vicious union busting,” a former Rockstar employee told The Guardian.
Take-Two alleged leak of confidential information
Rockstar’s parent company, Take-Two Interactive, has not publicly commented beyond a statement given to Bloomberg.
A Rockstar spokesperson said that the workers were terminated for distributing and discussing confidential information “in a public forum,” calling it a clear violation of company policy.
“This was in no way related to people’s rights to join a union or engage in union activities,” the spokesperson said.
But the IWGB rejected that claim.
The union insisted that no confidential material was leaked publicly, stating discussions were held only on private, legally protected trade-union channels.
According to IWGB, the dismissed employees were part of a group exploring the formation of a union inside Rockstar.
“They are afraid of hard-working staff privately discussing exercising their rights for a fairer workplace and a collective voice,” said IWGB President Alex Marshall.
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GTA VI release delayed
Speaking from the picket lines, Marshall told local media that Rockstar Games’s efforts to crack down on unions overshadowed the development of its games.
“Management are showing they don’t care about delays to GTA VI, and that they’re prioritising union busting by targeting the very people who make the game,” Marshall stated.
The sixth instalment of the GTA franchise is among the most-anticipated releases of 2025.
However, Rockstar Games announced earlier this week that the release will be delayed to November 19 next year, stretching the gap between GTA VI and its predecessor, GTA V, to 13 years.
First revealed in December 2023, GTA VI chronicles the adventures of criminal duo Jason Dubal and Lucia Caminos in the fictional open-world of Leonida.
Players will be able to control both characters as they make a return to Miami-inspired Vice City, a homage to GTA’s 2002 instalment “Grand Theft Auto: Vice City”.
The game will be available via PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.
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