In October 2025, Rockstar dismissed 34 workers throughout the UK and Canada for what guardian firm Take Two Interactive described as “gross misconduct”.
Subsequent statements clarified that this referred to “distributing and discussing confidential data in a public discussion board,” revealed to be a Discord server operated by commerce union organisation The Independent Staff’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB).
The IWGB accused the developer of union busting, as these dismissed included 31 union members in the UK whereas the three who work in Canada had been “union sympathetic.”
The latter workers weren’t members of any union “as a consequence of the distinction in labour regulation between Canada and the UK,” the IWGB clarified to GamesIndustry.biz.
In response to IWGB’s claims, Rockstar mentioned the dismissals weren’t associated to union actions, and had been as an alternative the end result of employees allegedly leaking “confidential data.”
“We took motion in opposition to a small quantity of people who had been discovered to be distributing and discussing confidential data in a public discussion board, a violation of our firm insurance policies,” the developer said in a statement.
“This was on no account associated to folks’s proper to affix a union or interact in union actions.”
The dispute escalated with formal authorized claims filed by the IWGB in opposition to Rockstar and protests outdoors the firm’s places of work. The difficulty was raised in UK Parliament, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer describing the case as “deeply regarding.”
In January 2026, each events attended a preliminary UK employment tribunal listening to throughout which the IWGB requested interim aid for the affected employees.
The case has wider implications for the video games trade, not just for its impression on the growth of what’s extensively anticipated to be the most commercially profitable online game of all time, Grand Theft Auto 6, but additionally on the still-nascent involvement of commerce unions in sport growth.
This timeline particulars the key events, which GamesIndustry.biz will replace when new data involves mild.
This is every little thing we all know so far about the dispute between Rockstar and the IWGB, and what it means for the dismissed workers.
October 30, 2025
The Independent Staff’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) accused Rockstar of union busting following the dismissal of 31 employees.
The union claimed these fired had been both members of IWGB or “making an attempt to organise” at Rockstar, and that each one these dismissed at Rockstar UK had been members of the IWGB Sport Staff Union Discord channel claiming they had been focused “for [that] motive.”
In response, the IWGB mentioned it could mount “a full and strong protection of its members who it believes have been focused unfairly for exercising their authorized rights.”
IWGB president Alex Marshall added: “Rockstar has simply carried out the most blatant and ruthless act of union busting in the historical past of the video games trade. This flagrant contempt for the regulation and for the lives of the employees who deliver of their billions is an insult to their followers and the international trade.”
October 31, 2025
Rockstar’s guardian firm Take-Two Interactive dismissed claims of union busting, with spokesperson Alan Lewis stating the terminations had been “for gross misconduct, and no different motive.”
November 6, 2025
Rockstar expanded on the above response in a assertion to Bloomberg, alleging workers had leaked “confidential data” and never for union-related actions.
“We took motion in opposition to a small quantity of people who had been discovered to be distributing and discussing confidential data in a public discussion board, a violation of our firm insurance policies,” it mentioned. “This was on no account associated to folks’s proper to affix a union or interact in union actions.”
In response, the IWGB accused Rockstar of being “afraid of hard-working employees privately discussing exercising their rights for a fairer office and a collective voice.”
“Administration are displaying they don’t care about delays to Grand Theft Auto 6, and that they’re prioritizing union-busting by focusing on the very individuals who make the sport.”
The identical day, Rockstar introduced that the launch of GTA 6 had been moved to November 19, 2026 for “further polish.”
GTA 6 was initially introduced in February 2022, and formally revealed with a trailer in December 2023. It had an preliminary launch window of late 2025, earlier than being moved to Might 26, 2026.
November 7, 2025
The IWGB led protests outdoors the places of work of Rockstar North and Take-Two Interactive in London and Edinburgh.
IWGB organiser Fred Carter mentioned these impacted by the dismissals “had been shocked” that Rockstar would “present such blatant disrespect and disrespect for the rights of employees to have a union.”
“They have been fired for exercising their authorized rights to talk to one another about their pay and circumstances, to construct a union of their office, to construct a fairer, higher office the place the individuals who construct video games have a voice in how they’re made.”
He added: “Folks did not know what was occurring, that their co-workers had been being torn from their desks and marched out of the constructing […] That is a group that’s in shock and in anger.”
Throughout the protest outdoors Take-Two’s London places of work, an IWGB consultant read out an anonymous testimony from a dismissed employee who claimed they had been let go “with out warning, with out proof, and with out a likelihood to talk for [themselves].”
“We weren’t leaking something or making an attempt to hurt the firm,” they mentioned. “We had been supporting one another, making an attempt to know our office and make it higher. To lose my job for that’s deeply unfair. Nobody ought to be punished for being half of a union or for talking truthfully about their work.”
November 12, 2025
Formal authorized claims had been filed by the IWGB in opposition to Rockstar, with the union stating that the developer “declined” to fulfill with them “to resolve the matter by means of negotiation.”
“We’re representing workers who had been dismissed by Rockstar Video games in circumstances that we imagine quantity to victimisation and collective dismissal linked to commerce union exercise,” the IWGB’s authorized workforce mentioned in a assertion.
“Regardless of our illustration and makes an attempt to fulfill with Rockstar to resolve the matter by means of negotiation, Rockstar have declined and endured to terminate members of the union in a method that’s unacceptable and illegal. Accordingly, we’ve got now issued formal authorized claims in opposition to Rockstar on behalf of the Claimants. Our members allege that Rockstar’s conduct constitutes commerce union victimisation and blacklisting.”
IWGB president Alex Marshall added it would “mount a full authorized defence with [its] professional group of caseworkers, authorized officers, and barristers.”
“Employers like Rockstar would do nicely to know that personal areas comparable to commerce union Discord servers have protections, and that their firm’s contractual clauses don’t supersede UK regulation.
“This case stands as a warning to any employer in the video games trade and past who thinks they’re able to act with impunity in opposition to organised employees – we is not going to be intimidated.”
November 14, 2025
Greater than 200 employees at Rockstar North signed a letter demanding “the quick reinstatement of their colleagues” following the mass termination.
Additional protests took place outside Take-Two’s offices in London on November 17, along with a rally outdoors the firm’s Paris headquarters led by members of Le Syndicat Travailleureuses du Jeu Vidéo (STJV).
One other protest took place outside Holyrood in Edinburgh on November 18, coinciding with a cross-party parliamentary group assembly about Scotland’s video games trade.
Liberal Democrat MP for Edinburgh West Christine Jardine brought up IWGB’s case of union busting in the House of Commons.
Jardine mentioned on social media that she “urged ministers to help employees who’ve misplaced their jobs, and cease this from taking place once more.”
November 24, 2025
YouTube channel People Make Games printed a video claiming that the alleged “confidential data” leaked by fired workers had been discussions of Slack insurance policies on a “closed, invite-only Discord utilized by unionised and non-unionised workers.”
The server included the IWGB, with discussions between workers and union representatives happening in safe channels. There was additionally a normal channel for unionised and non-unionised workers to debate varied subjects.
In keeping with the video, workers claimed that Rockstar shut down quite a few inside Slack channels employees used to debate non-work associated subjects as a consequence of the impression on productiveness. One other change reportedly restricted what employees may put of their standing messages on Slack.
As Rockstar restricts employees from accessing their inboxes outdoors the workplace, some UK workers weren’t made conscious of these adjustments. Employees who had entry to their inboxes subsequently shared the data on Discord for them to see.
The video acknowledged that one worker in the Discord was involved about these inside emails being shared in the server, and subsequently notified Rockstar resulting in an investigation and the subsequent dismissals.
“I feel it’s completely regular for folks to be discussing their materials circumstances, whether or not that is bonuses, whether or not that is insurance policies, whether or not that is something like that,” IWGB president Alex Marshall instructed PMG. “That is utterly regular for employees to be doing that and for an employer to reply in a manner that comes down so laborious on that reveals not solely that they’re governing by this lack of transparency, however they’re additionally making an attempt to manipulate by worry.”
“They really feel utterly threatened by the concept of employees speaking to one another and that is why they’ve taken this act to try to destroy the union, decimate any kind of solidarity being constructed between employees.”
December 10, 2025
The IWGB’s case in opposition to Rockstar was formally raised in UK Parliament. Scottish Labour MP for Edinburgh East and Musselburgh Chris Murray mentioned he had met with Rockstar about the case, although the developer had “didn’t reassure me they’re following employment regulation.”
Murray known as on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to handle the state of affairs, and requested if “all corporations, regardless of revenue and dimension, should observe UK employment regulation and all employees have the proper to affix a union.”
In response, Starmer described the dismissal of Rockstar workers as a “deeply regarding case,” and that ministers would examine it.
“Each employee has the proper to affix a commerce union,” mentioned Starmer. “We’re decided to strengthen employees rights and guarantee they do not face unfair penalties for being half of a union.”
Murray instructed IGN he had contacted Rockstar straight to debate the case alongside MPs Tracy Gilbert and Scott Arthur at Rockstar North’s places of work. “The assembly started with us as MPs refused entry until an NDA was signed, a request they finally withdrew after it being made clear this may not be signed,” Murray mentioned.
“[It] solely entrenched my considerations about the course of Rockstar used to dismiss so many of their employees members. I used to be not assured their course of paid strong consideration to UK employment regulation, I used to be not satisfied that this course of motion was vital, and alarmingly, I didn’t depart knowledgeable on precisely what these 31 folks had carried out to warrant their quick dismissal.”
December 11, 2025
Rockstar as soon as once more disputed the IWGB’s claims of union busting in a assertion to IGN, saying that employees who had been dismissed had “distributed and mentioned confidential data in a public discussion board, in breach of firm coverage and authorized obligations.”
“Rockstar took motion in opposition to a small group of people, throughout the UK and internationally, who distributed and mentioned confidential data (together with particular sport options from upcoming and unannounced titles) in a public discussion board, in breach of firm coverage and their authorized obligations,” the developer mentioned.
“Claims that these dismissals had been linked to union membership or actions are fully false and deceptive.”
December 12, 2025
The IWGB mentioned Rockstar’s newest assertion was “affected by falsehoods and disinformation” and that it was “making an attempt to reverse engineer a rationale for the dismissals.”
“As soon as once more, they’ve chosen to mischaracterise employees talking about their working circumstances in a non-public discussion board as ‘leaking data’,” the organisation mentioned. “From the UK Prime Minister in the Home of Commons, to the sport builders throughout the world erupting in protest – all eyes are on Rockstar and their lawless assault on the individuals who make them their billions.”
Rockstar subsquently responded to the IWGB’s remark in a statement: “As we suspected and as evidenced by the response to our assertion, they do not know who was on this Discord.”
January 5, 2025
Rockstar and the IWGB attended a preliminary UK employment tribunal listening to on January 5, with the union requesting interim aid for the dismissed workers, stating that some now not had “the proper to stay in the nation they’ve made their residence.”
“Irrespective of the consequence of this interim listening to, we stay assured in the energy of the case we’ve got introduced in opposition to Rockstar. We reiterate our agency perception that Rockstar broke the regulation when it summarily dismissed 31 of our members, and we glance ahead now to the day we face them in courtroom for a full and substantive tribunal listening to.”
Rockstar mentioned it “categorically denies the claims” heard throughout the listening to.
“We’ve got persistently made clear that we took vital motion in opposition to a group of people throughout the UK and Canada who mentioned extremely confidential data, together with regarding sport options from upcoming and unannounced titles, in an insecure and public social channel,” Rockstar mentioned in a public assertion. “This was a breach of long-standing and well-understood confidentiality insurance policies.”
“We remorse that these dismissals had been vital; nonetheless, confidentiality is prime to every little thing Rockstar does,” the developer added. “This was by no means about union membership. We’ve got all the time taken a zero-tolerance strategy to unauthorized releases of data – and we all the time will.”
January 12, 2025
The Glasgow Employment Tribunal rejected the IWGB’s request for interim aid for the affected employees.
“In all the circumstances, the tribunal was unable to conclude that it seems seemingly that the tribunal will discover that the principal motive for the claimants’ dismissal was their membership of the IWGB,” Choose Frances Eccles wrote in the judgement.
Eccles additionally highlighted that three of the affected claimants had been based mostly in Canada and never half of the IWGB, suggesting union-busting was not a issue of their dismissal. “There have been additionally workers related to the IWGB as members of the organising committee, who confirmed help for the commerce union or recognized themselves as commerce union members on Discord and who weren’t dismissed,” wrote Eccles.
Whereas the IWGB expressed disappointment with the determination, it said it “does nothing to dampen our hopes of profitable justice when the full listening to takes place,” saying it felt “bolstered in our claims that these firings weren’t simply deeply unjust but additionally plainly illegal,” and noting that “the choose acknowledged in her ruling that: ‘There was no proof of the respondent having suffered any antagonistic penalties as a end result of these postings’.”
“We welcome the determination, which is in step with Rockstar’s place all through,” a Rockstar Video games spokesperson told IGN. “We remorse that we had been put in a place the place dismissals had been vital, however we stand by our course of motion as supported by the consequence of this listening to.”
January 13, 2025
Following this listening to, People Make Games shared some of the proof submitted by Rockstar which included the “confidential data” shared on the Discord server.
This was revealed to seek advice from a dialog between two workers about requesting time without work, which was a dialogue concerning QA testers and a “32-player session.”
PMG mentioned Rockstar was “gravely involved to find some of the claimants had been sharing extremely confidential and commercially delicate data regarding the content material and options of an unannounced reside service.”
“They mentioned the particular quantity of on-line gamers deliberate for this service, a materials characteristic of this new title, which has not but been revealed by Rockstar.”
The proof additionally revealed that the journalist Rockstar described as “lurking” in the Discord server was narrative designer Scott Alsworth. Alsworth was an elected consultant of the IWGB’s Sport Staff department, and had beforehand written six articles for the gaming part of socialist newspaper The Morning Star. Rockstar’s submission to the courtroom mentioned Alsworth’s presence on the server was a “professional threat” to the studio.
February 3, 2026
Talking to GamesIndustry.biz, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick commented on the ongoing litigation, clarifying that the writer takes its “labour relations actually significantly.”
“We predict we’ve got the finest inventive of us in the world and we’ve got extraordinary respect for all these folks,” mentioned Zelnick.
“Almost about that particular matter, the tribunal rejected the union’s software for interim aid, we predict that was the proper determination. We remorse that we needed to dismiss [staff], we stand by what we did and that was supported in the consequence of the listening to.”
Might 28, 2026
Rockstar workers introduced the formation of the Rockstar Sport Staff Union (RGWU), a subsidiary of the IWGB.
The RGWU acknowledged it was able to launch publicly final 12 months after reaching the 10% union threshold simply earlier than the dismissals.
“These dismissals, which we imagine to be the most blatant and ruthless act of union busting the UK video games sector has ever seen, sparked protests throughout the globe, drew worldwide media consideration, and initiated a excessive profile authorized battle which can see its closing listening to later this 12 months,” it mentioned.
“These mass firings didn’t crush our union. In truth, we’re bigger and stronger than we’ve got ever been. We handed the 10% membership threshold once more shortly after the dismissals, and since then have continued to see increasingly more employees be a part of us from each web site round the UK.”