Rockstar Games faces escalating legal pressure after firing 34 Grand Theft Auto 6 developers last year, with a UK union now demanding immediate reinstatement and visa protection for affected workers. The Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain (IWGB) filed for interim relief at a January 5 tribunal hearing in Glasgow, accusing the studio of "brutal union busting" that violated UK labor laws.
The dispute centers on Rockstar's October 2025 termination of 31 UK-based developers and three Canadian employees, all of whom were union members or involved in organizing efforts. Rockstar maintains the dismissals resulted from employees discussing confidential GTA 6 features in an "insecure and public social channel," while the IWGB contends workers were discussing working conditions in a private union Discord server.
Interim relief, if granted by the tribunal, would temporarily reinstate payroll and work visas for the 31 UK developers ahead of a full hearing. The union argues the firings left employees "without incomes, without secure futures, and in some cases without even the right to remain in the country they have made their home," according to IWGB statements reported by IGN.
Rockstar's parent company Take-Two Interactive initially cited "gross misconduct" as the sole reason for the terminations. The studio later elaborated that employees "distributed and discussed confidential information (including specific game features from upcoming and unannounced titles)" in a channel containing "at least 25 non-Rockstar employees, including employees of competitor game developers, a video games industry journalist, as well as dozens of anonymous, unidentifiable members."
Union president Alex Marshall countered 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." The IWGB claims Rockstar has provided "multiple, conflicting reasons" for the dismissals while mischaracterizing protected union discussions as information leaks.
The controversy has drawn political attention in the UK, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer calling the firings a "deeply concerning case" during a December parliamentary session. Labour MP Chris Murray stated after meeting with Rockstar that he "was not assured their process paid robust attention to UK employment law" and "did not leave informed on exactly what these 31 people had done to warrant their immediate dismissal."
Protests erupted outside Rockstar offices in London, Paris, and Edinburgh following the terminations, with 220 current Rockstar employees delivering letters demanding their colleagues' reinstatement. The labor dispute represents Rockstar's most significant workplace controversy since 2018 reports revealed systemic "death march" crunch culture at the studio, which the company has reportedly worked to address in recent years.
Rockstar maintains a "zero-tolerance approach to unauthorized releases of information" in its latest statement, emphasizing that "confidentiality is fundamental to everything Rockstar Games does." The studio noted that "global interest in our games is unparalleled" and that "even the smallest leak of any information relating to our products and practices can cause major commercial and creative damage."
The IWGB's legal action seeks to establish precedent for union protections in the UK gaming industry, arguing that "this is about the arrogance of a company like Rockstar thinking that its size and profitability grant it an unlimited licence to abuse its workers, and to do so with impunity." The union expressed confidence in its case, stating it "reiterate[s] our firm belief that Rockstar broke the law when it summarily dismissed 31 of our members."
With GTA 6's anticipated 2026 launch approaching, the legal battle threatens to disrupt development timelines while testing UK labor protections for tech workers. The tribunal's decision on interim relief could determine whether fired developers return to work before the full hearing, potentially setting labor relations precedents for major game studios operating in the UK market.
