Rockstar Games faces union-busting allegations following staff cuts
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Key points
- Rockstar Games, the creators of Grand Theft Auto, is currently facing union-busting allegations.
- The studio fired 30-40 staff members across offices in the UK and Canada who were part of a private trade union chat group on Discord.
- Rockstar Games is currently developing Grand Theft Auto 6.
On Oct. 31, 2025, Bloomberg published a report revealing that the studio behind Grand Theft Auto, Rockstar Games, is facing union-busting allegations from the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) after firing around 30-40 staff members who were all part of a private trade union chat group on Discord.
According to the report, all of the fired employees were trying to organize a union at the company. The laid-off staffers were reportedly from across offices in the UK and Canada. The president of IWGB released a statement saying that “Rockstar has just carried out one of the most blatant and ruthless acts of union busting in the history of the games industry.”
Meanwhile, Take-Two spokesman Alan Lewis said that the firings were made due to “gross misconduct, and for no other reason.” He also added that the company fully supports Rockstar Games’ decision.
Rockstar Games has been at the center of workplace controversy in the past. A report from 2018 revealed that crunching was a fairly common practice, with developers saying that some of them were working 100-hour workweeks.
The company is currently developing what is considered to be one of the biggest games in recent history, Grand Theft Auto 6. It currently has a release date slated for May 26, 2026.
