A new investigation from People Make Games has revealed the Discord messages that led Rockstar Games to fire 34 employees in late October 2025 for what the company called gross misconduct. Screenshots shared by a current Rockstar employee show workers discussing company policies and union organizing in a private server that had existed for years, raising serious questions about whether these terminations represent legitimate policy enforcement or illegal union-busting tactics.
What the Messages Actually Said
According to the People Make Games report published on November 23, 2025, the Discord messages that allegedly justified the mass firings were remarkably mundane. When Rockstar announced productivity concerns as reasoning for policy changes, union members immediately started discussing it on their Discord server as the announcement went out.
One member questioned the justification, stating they would really like to see the evidence for productivity being too much of a hit. Another responded that they couldn’t imagine it being worth the absolute dumpster fire this will be for morale. These conversations represented workers critically analyzing management decisions and discussing their working conditions, activities generally protected under labor law in most jurisdictions.
The Discord server had been operational for multiple years before the firings took place. This timeline raises critical questions about when Rockstar discovered the server and what specifically triggered the decision to terminate 34 people simultaneously. If management knew about the server for years, why act suddenly and decisively in October 2025?
The Timeline of Events
The sequence of events leading to the mass terminations reveals troubling timing. By late October 2025, the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain had successfully recruited over 200 Rockstar North members, surpassing the 10 percent threshold legally required in the UK to seek formal recognition and initiate collective bargaining. This milestone represented a significant victory for organizing efforts that had been building for months.
Just one week after crossing this critical threshold, Rockstar fired 34 employees on October 30, 2025, across UK and Canadian offices. All terminated workers were reportedly union members or supporters actively involved in organizing efforts. The dismissals reduced union membership below the 10 percent threshold, effectively derailing the path to formal recognition.
Take-Two Interactive, Rockstar’s parent company, initially described the terminations as resulting from gross breach of discipline. The company later clarified that employees were fired for sharing confidential information on a public forum, though the Discord server was private and had existed for years without issue.
Rockstar’s Official Position
Rockstar Games has consistently maintained that the firings had nothing to do with union activity. In statements to Bloomberg and other outlets, Take-Two emphasized that last week, we took action against a small number of individuals who publicly disseminated and discussed confidential information, which is a violation of our corporate policies. This has nothing to do with people’s right to join a union or participate in union activities.
The company characterized the terminated employees as sharing sensitive company information in an online forum that included non-employees, specifically union organizers who were not Rockstar staff. Rockstar has maintained a particularly strong stance on data security since the massive 2022 cyberattack that leaked hours of unfinished Grand Theft Auto VI footage, making information security a sensitive issue for the company.
However, Rockstar has declined to provide specific details about what confidential information was allegedly shared or how it could have harmed the company. The lack of transparency about the specific violations makes it difficult to assess whether the punishment fits the alleged offense, especially given the severity of immediately dismissing 34 people.
Key Details About the Fired Workers
- Some employees had been with Rockstar for over 10 years
- Several workers were on company-sponsored visas and now face potential deportation from the UK
- Some terminated employees had medical conditions and lost access to workplace healthcare
- All 34 were union members or supporters involved in organizing efforts
- The firings reduced union membership below the 10% threshold needed for formal recognition
The Union’s Response and Legal Action
The Independent Workers Union of Great Britain didn’t accept Rockstar’s explanation quietly. IWGB President Alex Marshall condemned the terminations as showing flagrant contempt for the law and for the lives of the workers who bring in their billions. The union described the mass firings as the most shameless and brutal act of union-busting in UK gaming industry history.
In mid-November 2025, the IWGB launched formal legal action against Rockstar Games, filing claims in British courts alleging victimization and collective dismissal linked to trade union activity. The union is demanding that all fired employees be reinstated and has stated it intends to sue for unfair dismissals if this demand is not met.
The union argues that the Discord server was private, with the only outsiders being labor organizers who are bound by professional confidentiality standards. Workers discussing working conditions and organizing efforts in a private forum with union representatives is generally protected activity under UK employment law, making Rockstar’s position legally questionable.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Early 2020s | Private Discord server for union organizing established |
| September 2022 | Massive GTA VI leak prompts heightened security |
| Early 2025 | Rockstar mandates 5-day office return citing security |
| Late October 2025 | IWGB surpasses 10% membership threshold at Rockstar |
| October 30, 2025 | 34 employees fired for alleged gross misconduct |
| November 5, 2025 | IWGB publicly accuses Rockstar of union-busting |
| Mid-November 2025 | IWGB files formal legal claims in UK courts |
| November 23, 2025 | People Make Games reveals Discord message details |
The Broader Context of Gaming Industry Unions
This controversy unfolds against a backdrop of increasing unionization efforts across the gaming industry. Workers at major studios have increasingly sought collective bargaining rights to address concerns about crunch culture, job security, compensation, and working conditions. Quality assurance testers, in particular, have been at the forefront of organizing efforts due to lower pay and precarious contract positions.
Rockstar has historically been criticized for brutal crunch periods, particularly during Red Dead Redemption 2’s development when reports emerged of 100-hour work weeks. The company has since stated it’s improved working conditions, but the union organizing efforts suggest workers still see room for improvement through collective bargaining.
The gaming industry has seen successful unionization at several studios in recent years, including Raven Software, Blizzard Albany, and ZeniMax QA workers. However, companies have sometimes responded with resistance, making Rockstar’s mass terminations part of a larger pattern of tension between workers seeking representation and management protecting existing power structures.
Impact on GTA VI Development
The mass firings come just seven months before Grand Theft Auto VI’s scheduled launch on May 26, 2026, for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S. Losing 34 employees during the final push toward release represents a significant disruption, particularly if those workers held institutional knowledge or were involved in critical development areas.
Some community members have speculated that Rockstar might use these terminations to justify potential delays to GTA VI, though no such announcement has been made. The company’s statement emphasized that the firings involved a small number of individuals relative to Rockstar’s total workforce, suggesting management believes the impact on development will be minimal.
However, the morale impact on remaining employees could prove more significant than the direct loss of workers. As one of the fired employees’ Discord messages predicted, the dumpster fire for morale from such aggressive action could affect productivity and team cohesion during a critical development period.
Legal Implications and Precedent
The legal battle ahead could set important precedent for the UK gaming industry. Under British employment law, workers have the right to join unions and participate in organizing activities without retaliation. If courts determine that Rockstar’s stated reasons for the firings were pretextual and the real motivation was suppressing union activity, the company could face significant penalties.
The timing of the firings immediately after the union crossed the 10 percent threshold creates what legal experts call circumstantial evidence of discriminatory intent. Courts often look at timing, scope, and whether the stated justifications hold up under scrutiny when evaluating retaliation claims.
Rockstar’s challenge will be demonstrating that the alleged confidentiality violations were serious enough to warrant immediate termination of 34 employees without warning, despite the Discord server existing for years. The company will also need to explain why it acted precisely when union membership crossed a legally significant threshold.
Community and Industry Reactions
Reactions within the gaming community have been mixed. Some players defend Rockstar’s right to protect confidential information, particularly given the 2022 leak that exposed unfinished GTA VI content. Others see the mass firings as a transparent attempt to crush legitimate organizing efforts by workers seeking better conditions.
Industry observers note that simultaneously terminating 34 employees is extraordinarily rare outside of complete studio closures or major corporate restructuring. The targeting of specifically union-involved workers, regardless of the stated justification, sends a chilling message to other Rockstar employees who might consider organizing.
Several prominent industry figures have expressed support for the fired workers, while others have remained silent, possibly concerned about professional repercussions. The controversy highlights ongoing tensions between creative workers who make games and corporate management that controls employment conditions.
FAQs
How many Rockstar employees were fired?
34 employees were terminated across Rockstar’s UK and Canadian offices on October 30, 2025. All fired workers were reportedly union members or supporters involved in organizing efforts with the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain.
Why did Rockstar fire these employees?
Rockstar claims the employees were fired for sharing confidential company information in a public forum, which violated corporate policies. The IWGB union argues this is union-busting and that workers were discussing working conditions in a private Discord server, which is protected activity under employment law.
What was in the Discord messages?
According to People Make Games investigation, the messages showed workers discussing company policy announcements and questioning management decisions about productivity. The conversations were mundane workplace discussions about working conditions rather than sharing trade secrets or sensitive development information.
Is this legal in the UK?
UK employment law protects workers’ rights to join unions and participate in organizing activities without retaliation. The IWGB has filed legal claims alleging victimization and collective dismissal linked to trade union activity. Courts will ultimately determine whether Rockstar’s actions violated employment law.
Will this delay GTA VI?
Rockstar has not announced any delays to GTA VI’s May 26, 2026 release date. The company characterized the terminated employees as a small number relative to its total workforce, suggesting it doesn’t expect significant development impact, though morale effects could be substantial.
What happens to workers on visas?
Several fired employees were on company-sponsored work visas and now face potential deportation from the UK unless they can quickly secure alternative employment with visa sponsorship. This adds particular urgency and hardship to their situations beyond just job loss.
Has Rockstar done this before?
Rockstar largely avoided the gaming industry’s recent wave of mass layoffs. Take-Two Interactive cut approximately 5% of its workforce in April 2024, but this October 2025 incident represents Rockstar’s first major mass termination specifically targeting union-involved workers.
What is the IWGB demanding?
The Independent Workers Union of Great Britain is demanding reinstatement of all 34 fired employees and has filed formal legal claims in British courts. If reinstatement doesn’t occur, the union intends to sue for unfair dismissals and damages related to victimization based on trade union activity.
What This Means for Gaming’s Future
This controversy represents a flashpoint in the ongoing battle over worker rights in the gaming industry. As developers increasingly seek collective bargaining power to address crunch culture, job insecurity, and compensation issues, companies face decisions about how to respond. Rockstar’s aggressive approach sends a clear message that could either discourage organizing or galvanize workers across the industry.
The legal outcome will likely influence how other gaming companies approach unionization efforts. A ruling favoring the fired workers could establish precedent protecting organizing activities and deterring similar mass terminations. Conversely, if courts side with Rockstar, companies might feel emboldened to take aggressive action against union movements using confidentiality policies as justification. Whatever the outcome, this case will be studied by labor organizers, corporate lawyers, and game developers for years to come as the industry continues grappling with fundamental questions about power, fairness, and who controls the conditions under which games are made.