Rockstar Games, developer of Grand theft car VIhas been accused of deliberately firing employees who were trying to unionize, Bloomberg information. The Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB) claims that more than 30 employees who were eliminated at the developer’s offices in the United Kingdom and Canada were already part of a union or trying to organize.
“Rockstar has just carried out the most blatant and ruthless act of union busting in the history of the games industry,” said IWGB president Alex Marshall in a blog post about layoffs. “This blatant disregard for the law and the lives of workers who contribute billions is an insult to his supporters and the global industry.”
In addition to the disruption of having to look for a new job, the union notes that several employees who were laid off are particularly vulnerable. “Among the laid-off staff were those on Rockstar-sponsored visas and those with medical conditions who will lose access to essential workplace health plans,” the union says. He adds that “all of those fired at Rockstar UK were members of the IWGB Game Workers Union discord channel, and appear to have been targeted for this reason.” In response to IWGB’s claims, Rockstar publisher and owner Take-Two Interactive said Bloomberg that the dismissals had nothing to do with union activity but were “for serious misconduct and for no other reason.”
Rockstar and Take-Two have come into conflict with employees in the past over their return to office policy. Take-Two also laid off staff at several studios in 2024 and 2025, potentially motivated by the decision to delay the release of Grand theft car VI until 2026. The game is expected to be a great success for the company and the industry as a whole, which is part of the reason why the IWGB believes the layoffs are motivated by more than just finances.
