The war of words between Rockstar Games and the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain has escalated to absurd levels. Rockstar claims they fired 31 UK employees and 3 Canadian workers for leaking confidential game information in a public Discord server. The IWGB says that statement is “littered with falsehoods and disinformation” and that workers were really fired for trying to unionize. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the situation “deeply concerning” and promised a government investigation. This is what happens when billion-dollar gaming corporations try to stop unions and get caught doing it.
Rockstar’s Changing Story
According to the IWGB, Rockstar has given multiple conflicting explanations for why these workers were terminated. Parent company Take-Two initially said the firings were due to “gross misconduct, and for no other reason.” Then Rockstar claimed employees were discussing confidential information in public forums. The latest statement specifically mentions that workers were “distributing and discussing confidential information including specific game features from upcoming and unannounced titles in a public forum, in breach of company policy and their legal obligations.”
The union’s response pulls no punches: “Rockstar’s latest statement is littered with falsehoods and disinformation. They have given multiple, conflicting reasons to explain why the workers were fired, as if attempting to reverse engineer a rationale for the dismissals.” That’s a diplomatic way of saying Rockstar is making excuses up as they go to justify firing union organizers.
What Actually Happened
Based on reporting from Bloomberg and People Make Games, here’s what we know. Over 30 Rockstar employees across the UK and Canada were members of a private Discord server where union organizing discussions were happening. These weren’t entry-level workers. Some had been with Rockstar for over a decade, working on franchises like Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption.
According to the IWGB, workers in this private Discord shared and discussed an internal Slack policy message from Rockstar management. The company was cracking down on off-topic conversations in Slack channels to keep things more professional. Employees discussed this policy change in their private union organizing channel, which Rockstar apparently considers leaking confidential information. That’s the “specific game features” Rockstar keeps referencing, a management memo about Slack etiquette.
The NDA Standoff
When local MP Chris Murray tried to meet with Rockstar about the firings, things got weird. Murray, along with Edinburgh MPs Tracy Gilbert and Scott Arthur, showed up at Rockstar North’s offices for a scheduled meeting. Security initially refused them entry unless they signed a non-disclosure agreement. Members of Parliament. Being asked to sign NDAs. To discuss employee firings at a company in their constituency.
Murray refused, and Rockstar eventually backed down and let them in without signed NDAs. But that attempted power move shows how Rockstar is approaching this situation, trying to control the narrative and keep everything secret. The meeting didn’t go well. Murray came away unconvinced that Rockstar followed UK employment law and alarmed that he couldn’t even get clear answers about what the fired employees supposedly did wrong.
UK Government Steps In
During Prime Minister’s Questions on December 10, MP Chris Murray raised the issue directly with Keir Starmer. “The video games company Rockstar in my constituency last month fired 31 employees without providing evidence or union representation,” Murray told Parliament. “The IWGB alleges union busting. Having met Rockstar they failed to reassure me they are following employment law and I share concerns about union busting.”
Starmer’s response was unequivocal: “It’s a deeply concerning case. Every worker has the right to join a trade union and we’re determined to strengthen workers rights and ensure they don’t face unfair consequences for being part of a union. Our ministers will look into the particular case that he raises and will keep him updated.” That’s the UK Prime Minister publicly committing to investigate whether one of Britain’s most famous game studios is breaking labor law.
What Makes This Union Busting?
Union busting is when companies retaliate against workers for trying to organize. UK law explicitly protects workers’ right to discuss unionization privately with organizers, and that right supersedes employment contracts. According to the IWGB, Rockstar developers discussing working conditions and union organizing in a private Discord channel is legally protected activity. Firing them for it, even if they technically discussed an internal company policy, could be illegal retaliation.
The IWGB argues that Rockstar is “mischaracterizing workers speaking about their working conditions in a private forum as leaking information.” That’s the crux of the dispute. Were these workers maliciously leaking GTA 6 secrets to competitors and the public? Or were they discussing workplace issues and company policies amongst themselves as part of union organizing, which is their legal right?
The Timing Is Suspicious
All 31 UK employees were members of the private union Discord. All were fired simultaneously at the end of October. Some had worked at Rockstar for over a decade with clean employment records. They were escorted out of the building by security without warning. If this was really about individual instances of gross misconduct or leaking confidential information, why fire everyone at once? Why not investigate each person’s actions separately?
According to anonymous sources, the number of union members might have been approaching the threshold needed for statutory recognition in the UK. British law requires at least 10% union membership within the proposed bargaining unit before unions can apply for recognition. If Rockstar was close to that threshold, firing all union members simultaneously would conveniently reset the count to zero.
Global Protests Erupt
The firings sparked protests outside Rockstar North’s Edinburgh office and Take-Two’s London office. Game developers worldwide have expressed solidarity with the fired workers. The IWGB characterized Rockstar’s actions as “one of the most blatant and ruthless acts of union busting in the history of the games industry” and a “lawless attack on the people who make them their billions.”
That last part stings because it’s true. Grand Theft Auto V has made over $8 billion since 2013. GTA 6 is expected to be the biggest entertainment launch in history. Rockstar and Take-Two are printing money thanks to these developers, yet treating them as disposable the moment they try to organize for better working conditions.
Why This Matters Beyond Rockstar
Gaming industry unionization has been gaining momentum. Raven Software QA workers unionized in 2022 despite Activision’s attempts to stop them. Blizzard Albany formed a union. Over 200 Overwatch 2 developers unionized. ZeniMax QA workers across multiple Microsoft studios organized. Most recently, id Software’s entire 165-person team voted to form a wall-to-wall union.
If Rockstar successfully crushes this organizing effort without consequences, it sends a message to every other gaming company: fire union organizers, claim they leaked something, and the worst that happens is bad PR. But if the UK government investigation finds Rockstar broke labor law, it establishes precedent that union busting will have real legal consequences. That could embolden workers at other studios to organize without fear.
The Crunch Culture Connection
Rockstar has a notorious history with crunch culture. During Red Dead Redemption 2 development, reports emerged of 100-hour work weeks being common. Co-founder Dan Houser bragged in an interview about the team working that hard, then tried to walk it back after backlash. Rockstar eventually apologized and promised to do better, but reports of mandatory overtime continued.
This is why workers were organizing in the first place. They want protections against mandatory crunch, fair compensation for overtime, better work-life balance, and a say in workplace policies. These aren’t radical demands. They’re basic workers’ rights that most industries accept. But gaming has operated as the Wild West of tech employment for decades, exploiting developers’ passion for games to justify substandard treatment.
The Canadian Workers
Three Canadian employees were also fired as part of this mass termination, suggesting Rockstar is taking a global approach to crushing organizing efforts. Canadian labor law differs from UK law, but firing workers for union activities is also illegal there. Whether those three workers will pursue legal claims remains to be seen, but their inclusion shows this wasn’t just about one office or region.
What Happens Next
The IWGB has filed legal claims against Rockstar alleging trade union victimization and blacklisting. UK ministers are investigating the case based on Prime Minister Starmer’s commitment to Parliament. Rockstar will either have to prove these workers actually leaked confidential game information maliciously, or face consequences for illegal union busting.
The problem for Rockstar is that their story keeps changing. First it was gross misconduct with no specifics. Then it was leaking confidential information. Now it’s specifically sharing game features from unannounced titles. The IWGB’s accusation that they’re “attempting to reverse engineer a rationale for the dismissals” looks more credible when the rationale keeps evolving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Rockstar fire 31 GTA 6 developers?
Rockstar claims they fired workers for leaking confidential game information in a public Discord forum. The IWGB union says workers were fired for union organizing activities in a private channel, which is protected by UK labor law.
What did the UK Prime Minister say about this?
Keir Starmer called the case “deeply concerning” during Prime Minister’s Questions and committed that UK ministers would investigate the allegations of union busting. He emphasized that every worker has the right to join a union.
Is this actually union busting?
According to the IWGB, yes. All 31 UK workers fired were members of a private union organizing Discord server. UK law protects workers’ right to discuss unionization privately, and firing them for it would be illegal retaliation.
What were workers allegedly leaking?
Reports suggest employees discussed an internal Slack policy message from management in their private union Discord. Rockstar characterizes this as leaking confidential information. The union says it’s workers discussing workplace conditions, which is legally protected.
How long had these employees worked at Rockstar?
Some had been with the company for over a decade, working on major franchises like Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption. They weren’t new hires, which makes the mass firing more suspicious.
What is the IWGB doing about this?
The Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain has filed legal claims against Rockstar alleging trade union victimization and blacklisting. They’re representing the fired workers in what could become a landmark labor law case.
Did Rockstar try to make MPs sign NDAs?
Yes. When local MP Chris Murray and colleagues tried to meet with Rockstar about the firings, security initially refused them entry unless they signed non-disclosure agreements. They refused and were eventually let in.
Could Rockstar face legal consequences?
Yes. If the UK government investigation finds Rockstar violated labor law by firing workers for union activities, the company could face penalties and be forced to reinstate the employees with back pay.
The Billion Dollar Hypocrisy
Rockstar and Take-Two love to present themselves as artist-friendly companies that support creative freedom and value their employees. Their PR statements always emphasize positive work environments and career opportunities. Dan Houser once said they wanted Rockstar to be the place where the best talent wants to work. But those pretty words mean nothing when you’re escorting decade-long employees out the door with security because they dared to discuss forming a union.
The IWGB’s accusation that Rockstar’s statement is “littered with falsehoods and disinformation” isn’t hyperbole. It’s an accurate description of a company scrambling to justify union busting by retroactively manufacturing reasons for mass terminations. The fact that their story keeps changing, that they tried to make government officials sign NDAs, and that the UK Prime Minister felt compelled to promise an investigation all support the union’s position.
Gaming workers everywhere are watching this case. If Rockstar gets away with it, expect more union busting across the industry. If the IWGB wins and Rockstar faces real consequences, it could open the floodgates for organizing at other major studios. Either way, the era of gaming companies exploiting workers’ passion while crushing any attempt at collective bargaining is coming to an end. Workers have had enough, and they’re not backing down anymore.