Rockstar Games fired approximately 31 employees on October 30, 2025, just months before Grand Theft Auto 6’s scheduled release. The company claims they were dismissed for gross misconduct and leaking confidential information. The workers and their union tell a completely different story, accusing Rockstar of one of the most blatant acts of union busting in gaming industry history.
What Actually Happened
On October 30, Rockstar terminated between 30 and 40 employees across its UK offices, primarily at Rockstar North in Edinburgh, Scotland. According to the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain, every single person fired was a member of a private Discord channel where workers discussed forming the Rockstar Games Workers’ Union. The dismissed employees included majority members of the union organizing committee.
Workers report being pulled from their desks without warning and escorted from the building. Some employees on medical leave received termination calls from HR. One worker reportedly suffered a panic attack during their firing. Current employees watched their colleagues disappear mid-workday with no explanation, creating what union organizers describe as an atmosphere of shock, grief, and fear.
Take-Two Interactive, Rockstar’s parent company, issued a statement to Bloomberg claiming the firings were for gross misconduct and for no other reason. Rockstar later clarified they terminated employees for discussing confidential information in a forum that included individuals outside the organization. The company emphasized zero tolerance for breaches of trust, especially after the massive 2022 GTA 6 leak that exposed unfinished game footage to millions.
The Union’s Counter-Narrative
The IWGB Game Workers Union paints a drastically different picture. Union president Alex Marshall stated Rockstar carried out one of the most blatant and ruthless acts of union busting in gaming industry history. According to the union, the alleged public forum was actually a private trade union Discord channel. The only non-employees with access were union organizers helping workers understand their legal rights.
Union co-founder Austin Kelmore told Aftermath that the firings came shortly after the union reached 10 percent of eligible workers at Rockstar, a significant milestone for labor organizing. The dismissed workers had been discussing workplace conditions, not leaking game details. Kelmore emphasized that workers were simply exercising their legal right to organize collectively and push for better working conditions.
Protests and Political Support
Dozens of people joined protests outside Rockstar North’s Edinburgh offices and Take-Two’s London headquarters. Fired workers stood alongside current employees who risked their own jobs by publicly supporting their terminated colleagues. Protesters held signs reading Say Sorry, Be Nice (a phrase associated with Rockstar co-founder Sam Houser), Grant Theft Employment, and Union Busted.
The demonstrations drew support from Scotland’s Green Party. Co-leader Ross Greer attended the Edinburgh protest, calling Rockstar’s actions bang out of order. Member of Scottish Parliament Patrick Harvie issued a statement supporting the workers, noting that employees who wrote, coded, and developed some of entertainment history’s most profitable products deserve better treatment than mass terminations for exercising legal rights.
Current Rockstar employees approached protesters during demonstrations to express how much they valued their fired colleagues. Many told union organizers they didn’t know what they would do without the knowledge and experience those terminated workers brought to their teams. Some of the dismissed employees had worked at Rockstar for years, accumulating institutional knowledge that would be difficult or impossible to replace.
The Timing Question
Rockstar announced on November 6 that GTA 6 would be delayed to November 19, 2026, pushing the release back by several months. Speculation immediately connected the delay to the October firings, but industry insiders dispute that connection. Kiwi Talkz, a trusted GTA insider, stated the union layoffs and the delay are unrelated, emphasizing that Rockstar employs over 6,000 people globally and wouldn’t delay a game over 35 terminations.
According to insiders, GTA 6 is content complete and currently in final polish and optimization phases. The delay appears driven by Rockstar’s desire for a flawless launch rather than staffing shortages. However, union organizers and labor advocates warn that even if the firings didn’t cause this specific delay, they could impact future production through vacant roles, protracted legal battles, and catastrophic morale loss across the company.
An anonymous Rockstar employee, verified by GTAForums moderators, posted that morale at Rockstar North is at an all-time low. HR reportedly refused to allow union representation during termination meetings. The mass firings sent a clear message to remaining employees about the consequences of organizing, which may have been precisely the point.
Legal Battles Ahead
The IWGB Game Workers Union announced it will pursue every legal avenue available to get workers reinstated and receive interim relief. The union filed claims through UK and Scotland employment tribunals, specialized courts that handle labor disputes. These legal proceedings could take months or years to resolve, but the union hopes to secure payment for workers throughout the process.
If Rockstar genuinely fired employees for leaking confidential information as claimed, the company would need to present evidence in court proving gross misconduct. If evidence doesn’t support that claim, Rockstar could face significant penalties for unfair dismissal and retaliatory terminations based on union activity. UK employment law provides strong protections for workers organizing collectively, making this a high-stakes legal gamble for Take-Two.
Union organizers point out a crucial detail – if these firings were truly about security breaches and leaks, why did Rockstar specifically target every member of the union Discord channel? Why not fire employees outside that channel if the concern was genuinely about confidential information rather than labor organizing?
The Bigger Picture
This controversy unfolds against a backdrop of massive gaming industry layoffs. Microsoft, Amazon, and numerous other studios trimmed thousands of positions throughout 2025 amid AI integration and shifting business priorities. However, the Rockstar situation differs significantly because it involves allegations of targeting workers specifically for union activity rather than general downsizing or restructuring.
The IWGB Game Workers Union was founded in 2018 and has been organizing UK game workers behind the scenes for years. It now boasts over 1,500 members across the British gaming industry. The Rockstar firings represent a test case for whether major publishers will tolerate unionization efforts or aggressively fight to maintain non-union workplaces.
People Make Games, an investigative journalism channel focused on the gaming industry, traveled to Edinburgh to interview the fired workers. Their video investigation provides first-hand accounts from terminated employees explaining why they attempted to organize and what happened when Rockstar discovered their efforts. The documentary highlights the human cost of these corporate decisions beyond legal technicalities and PR statements.
What This Means for GTA 6
For most players, this controversy won’t impact whether they buy GTA 6 when it launches in November 2026. The game will almost certainly become one of the best-selling titles in entertainment history regardless of labor disputes happening behind the scenes. However, some players and advocacy groups have called for boycotts if Rockstar doesn’t resolve the situation appropriately.
Scottish Green co-leader Ross Greer warned that customers who love Rockstar’s games need to stand with the workers who actually create those experiences. If Rockstar wants to continue being one of entertainment’s most profitable companies, treating staff with respect isn’t optional when customers care about workplace conditions.
The situation also raises questions about crunch culture and working conditions that drive employees to organize unions in the first place. Rockstar has historically faced criticism for requiring extreme overtime during game development. In early 2024, the studio mandated all employees return to offices full-time citing security concerns, a move the union called reckless given the punishing workload many developers already faced.
FAQs
How many Rockstar employees were fired?
Approximately 31 UK-based employees were terminated on October 30, 2025, primarily from the Rockstar North studio in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Why did Rockstar fire these employees?
Rockstar claims the employees were fired for gross misconduct and leaking confidential company information. The Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain alleges the firings were retaliation for union organizing activity.
Were all the fired employees union members?
According to the IWGB, every terminated UK employee was a member of a private union Discord channel where workers discussed organizing for better workplace conditions.
Did these firings delay GTA 6?
Industry insiders say the November 2026 delay is unrelated to the October firings. GTA 6 is reportedly content complete and the delay reflects final optimization work rather than staffing issues.
What is the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain?
The IWGB is a UK labor union that includes a game workers branch founded in 2018. It represents over 1,500 members across the British gaming industry and provides legal support for workers facing unfair treatment.
What legal action is being taken?
The IWGB is pursuing unfair dismissal claims through UK and Scotland employment tribunals. The union seeks reinstatement for fired workers and interim financial relief during legal proceedings.
How has Rockstar responded to the allegations?
Rockstar and parent company Take-Two deny union busting allegations, maintaining the firings were solely for gross misconduct related to leaking confidential information in forums that included non-employees.
What happened at the protests?
Dozens of people protested outside Rockstar offices in Edinburgh and Take-Two offices in London. Current employees joined fired workers, and Scottish Green Party politicians attended to show support.
When does GTA 6 release?
Grand Theft Auto 6 is now scheduled to release on November 19, 2026, after being delayed from its original 2025 release window.
Conclusion
The Rockstar firings represent a critical moment for labor organizing in the gaming industry. Whether courts ultimately side with the company’s gross misconduct claims or the union’s retaliation allegations will send a powerful message about workers’ ability to organize collectively without fear of termination. For the 31 fired employees, the outcome determines whether they get their jobs back, receive compensation, or lose everything for attempting to improve workplace conditions.
Beyond legal outcomes, this controversy highlights ongoing tensions between gaming industry workers and management over crunch culture, job security, and basic labor rights. As games become more expensive and time-consuming to develop, the pressure on workers intensifies. Whether the industry moves toward greater unionization or companies successfully resist organizing efforts will shape working conditions for thousands of developers creating the games millions of people love. For now, all eyes remain on Edinburgh as this story continues unfolding.