Things aren’t looking good for Rockstar, the developer behind Grand Theft Auto 6. Recent reports from Bloomberg (paywalled) suggest that several employees have been fired, leading to accusations of union busting by the IWGB Game Workers Union in the UK. However, Rockstar’s parent company, Take-Two, denies these claims.
According to the report, more than 30 employees in the UK and Canadian offices were let go this week. It’s been noted that all of these employees were part of a private Discord group dedicated to trade unions, with some members associated with the IWGB or trying to organize at Rockstar.
Rockstar: not only making history in terms of profits, but in enacting the most brazen act of union busting the games industry has ever seen.
[image or embed]
— IWGB (@iwgbunion.bsky.social) October 31, 2025 at 8:04 PM
Alex Marshall, president of IWGB, condemned Rockstar’s actions, stating, “Rockstar has just carried out one of the most blatant and ruthless acts of union busting in the history of the games industry. This flagrant contempt for the law and for the lives of the workers who bring in their billions is an insult to their fans and the global industry.”
Take-Two spokesman Alan Lewis defended the firings, claiming they were due to “gross misconduct” and nothing else. He added, “we fully support Rockstar’s ambitions and approach.” No specific details about the alleged misconduct have been disclosed.
Rockstar has a history of workplace controversies, particularly regarding crunch, although things have been relatively quiet on that front in recent years.
As many are already aware, Rockstar is currently in the process of developing GTA 6, set for release in 2026.
