Rockstar Games fired between 30 and 40 employees in the UK and Canada, sparking accusations of union-busting

GTA 6 developer, Rockstar Games, has been accused of retaliating against its employees involved in union organizing, according to the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB). 

Across the global gaming industry, more studios are seeing workers’ demand for rights to form unions, especially after years of criticism over “crunch” periods often required to meet production deadlines. Rockstar Games is now facing allegations that it does not support employee demands for organized action. 

Rockstar Games accused of deliberately targeting union efforts 

Rockstar Games, the studio behind the Grand Theft Auto series, is facing allegations of union-busting after it fired dozens of employees across its UK and Canadian offices. According to the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB), the game developer abruptly dismissed between 30 and 40 workers on Thursday in what the union describes as a deliberate attempt to disrupt efforts to form a union inside the company.

The union referred to the company’s actions as one of the most “blatant and ruthless” acts of union busting in the gaming industry.

Alex Marshall, the president of the IWGB, said the studio’s actions showed “flagrant contempt for the law and for the lives of the workers who bring in their billions.” He also criticized Rockstar and its parent company, Take-Two Interactive, for showing disregard toward their employees and the gaming community that supports their work.

Union representatives are urging an investigation into the dismissals because they believe the timing and scale of the layoffs are suspicious and don’t seem to be for valid reasons. The IWGB is reportedly exploring legal means to get the dismissals overturned.

In a statement, the IWGB said that a major company like Rockstar getting away with antagonizing union organizers sends a “chilling message to workers everywhere who want to organize for fair treatment.”

Take-Two denies accusations 

Rockstar’s parent company, Take-Two Interactive Software Inc., denied all of IWGB’s accusations. The company insists that the layoffs were due to “gross misconduct” by the employees and not related to any union activities, but it has so far failed to provide any details of the supposed misconduct.

Alan Lewis, a spokesperson for Take-Two, said the company “fully supports Rockstar’s ambitions and approach.”

Despite the backlash, Rockstar has not indicated any plans to reverse the firings.

This isn’t the first time Rockstar has faced employee relations controversy. In early 2024, the company was heavily criticized for asking workers to return to the office five days a week.

The IWGB criticized that decision, saying it ignored workers’ well-being and family responsibilities. 

Rockstar defended the return-to-office directive as a necessary step to beef up security after a major leak revealed dozens of video footage from the unfinished Grand Theft Auto VI in 2022.

Rockstar is still preparing to release the highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto VI video games on May 26, 2026.

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