Grand Theft Auto studio accused of being “anti-union” after firing workers

Rockstar Games, maker of Grand Theft Auto (GTA), has been accused by a union of laying off staff in the UK to prevent them from unionising.

The Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB), which represents people working in the gaming sector, said 31 workers were made redundant from Rockstar’s UK studios on October 30.

The union led demonstrations outside the company’s offices in Edinburgh and London on Thursday to protest what it described as “the most blatant and ruthless act of union busting in the history of the gaming industry.”

The BBC approached Rockstar’s parent company Take-Two Interactive for comment, which reportedly claimed staff were fired for sharing confidential information.

“Last week, we took action against a small number of people who were distributing and discussing confidential information in a public forum, a violation of our company policies,” a Rockstar spokesperson told Bloomberg in a statement.

“This had no bearing on people’s right to join a union or participate in union activities.”

At large video game studios, information about game development is tightly controlled and employees often sign agreements not to share confidential information.

Rockstar’s upcoming GTA 6 is expected to be one of the best-selling games of all time, with fans clamoring for any news ahead of its May 2026 release date, meaning security around any information will increase at the studio.

But union president Alex Marshall accused Rockstar of straying from the “real reason” for laying off staff, which the IWGB believes is their union involvement.

“They are afraid that working staff will speak privately about exercising their rights to a fairer workplace and a collective voice,” he said.

“Management is showing that they don’t care about the delays in GTA VI and are prioritizing the fight against unions by attacking the very people who create the game.”

According to the IWGB, the British workers dismissed at the end of October were part of a group discussing the formation of a union at the company.

Marshall said his only non-Rockstar employees were union organizers.

Speaking to the BBC at a picket line outside Rockstar North’s Edinburgh office, organizer Fred Carter said he stood alongside staff who had been sacked “without notice” and “for no reason”.

“We believe they have been dismissed because they are members of a union, which is protected activity in the UK,” he said.

“We’re asking people to come out and support us, to demand their jobs back and for Rockstar to be held accountable.”

After clips of Grand Theft Auto 6 were leaked online following a hack in 2022, Rockstar said the recovery cost the company $5m (£3.8m) and thousands of hours of staff time.

But the IWGB’s Marshall said the company’s decision to lay off more than 30 UK workers showed it had “chosen profits over workers and fans of its games”.