“Labor Union Advocates for Support for Dismissed GTA 6 Developers Amid Rockstar’s Leak Management Claims”

The ongoing controversy surrounding Rockstar’s October 2025 termination of 34 developers working on GTA 6, including 31 in the UK and three in Canada, has prompted the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain to seek interim relief for those affected.

During a January 5 hearing at the Tribunals Centre in Glasgow, the IWGB requested interim relief, which would provide the dismissed employees with payroll and, if applicable, work visa reinstatement before the full trial. They accused Rockstar of engaging in “brutal union-busting.”

The IWGB expressed confidence in their case against Rockstar, asserting that “Rockstar broke the law when it summarily dismissed 31 of our members.” The three employees from Canada are not included in this claim due to regional and union differences, as well as variations in labor laws.

“This case is not just about the suffering of the 31 people who lost their livelihoods in the blink of an eye,” the union stated. “This is about the arrogance of a company like Rockstar thinking that its size and profitability grant it an unlimited license to abuse its workers, and to do so with impunity.”

In response, a Rockstar spokesperson maintained that the terminations were due to the leaking of confidential information. The company “categorically denies” any allegations of union-busting and reiterated that the dismissed employees “discussed highly confidential information, including details about upcoming and unannounced titles, in an insecure and public social channel.”

Reports indicate that this social channel was an apparent Discord server. IWGB president Alex Marshall noted in November that “this was on a finite union Discord in which people were discussing their material conditions at the company, and they should be legally protected to do that.” Rockstar claimed the channel was more open, allegedly involving “employees of competitor game developers, a video games industry journalist, as well as dozens of anonymous, unidentifiable members.”

Rockstar stated that “employees who posted union-supportive messages, but who did not breach confidentiality policies, were not dismissed,” and denied maintaining a “blacklist” of union members.

The company added, perhaps somewhat defensively: “We regret that these dismissals were necessary; however, confidentiality is fundamental to everything Rockstar Games does. Global interest in our games is unparalleled. Even the smallest leak of any information relating to our products and practices can cause major commercial and creative damage – as we have seen in the past – and damage the experience of our loyal players and dedicated team. This was never about union membership. We have always taken a zero-tolerance approach to unauthorized releases of information — and we always will.”

These firings have sparked ongoing protests outside Rockstar’s office. In December, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer remarked on the situation, stating he would “look into” the “deeply concerning” case.

Labour Party MP Chris Murray also addressed the firings, saying, “Having met Rockstar, they failed to reassure me they are following employment law, and I share concerns about union busting.”

Protesters have described GTA 6 developer Rockstar as “a machine” in “an industry rife with work exploitation, unfair practice, and unreasonable working conditions” following the recent dismissals.