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Rockstar Games, the developer behind Grand Theft Auto 6, has found itself caught in controversy after being accused of a “ruthless act of union busting” by the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWBG). This has come after Rockstar Games reportedly fired between 30 and 40 employees on October 30, allegedly targeting them due to being part of a union Discord channel.
This comes only months ahead of Grand Theft Auto 6’s release date, one of the most anticipated games of all time, with over $3 billion in sales predicted. Should these accusations prove correct, they will show something rotten at the heart of Rockstar Games and give further justification to an era where gaming industry workers are becoming increasingly unionized.
- Rockstar Games has been accused of alleged union-busting after firing 30 to 40 employees in October.
- The Independent Workers Union of Great Britain claims that Rockstar Games dismissed employees due to union discussions over a private Discord channel.
- The GTA 6 developer has taken this alleged step in an industry that is rapidly unionizing.
- Rockstar Games has been previously known for a toxic work culture during the development of Red Dead Redemption 2.
- When Grand Theft Auto 6 releases, Rockstar Games can expect to have its biggest launch ever, which could be delayed or marred by these accusations.
Bad parenting
As per the statement from the IWBG, the 30 to 40 fired employees across the UK and Canada were “all part of a private trade union Discord channel” and their dismissal by Rockstar Games “constitutes unlawful and retaliatory dismissals”.
The IWGB “sees this as a brazen act of illegal union busting” and “will be mounting a full and robust defense of its members”. Spring McParlin-Jones, the Chair of the IWGB, has gone so far as to say that Rockstar Games’ actions send a message that “money matters more than people”.
The IWGB isn’t alone in condemning Rockstar Games for their alleged misdemeanors, as the massive US-based media union SAG-AFTRA has put out a brief statement saying it “stands in solidarity with the IWGB” and that they are “in this fight together”.
For their part, Take-Two Interactive, the parent company of Rockstar Games, put out its statement on the matter. Alan Lewis, a spokesperson for Take-Two, said the firings were “for gross misconduct, and no other reason”.
Take-Two also reiterated that they “fully support Rockstar’s ambitions and approach”, despite IWGB claiming that amongst those dismissed were “those with visas sponsored by Rockstar and those with medical conditions”.
Rockstar Games also put out a statement, claiming the fired employees were “found to be distributing and discussing confidential information in a public forum”, and their actions were “in no way related to people’s right to join a union or engage in union activities” (via Bloomberg). This is possibly in reference to the aforementioned private trade union Discord channel.
Rockstar has also been criticised by the IWGB for “broken promises” over an enforced return to office-based working despite employee concerns, and a general refusal to engage with workers on the issue (via IGN).
Against the current
These accusations of Rockstar Games’ union-busting come at a time when the industry is more primed for unionization than ever. The IWGB recently started representing the ZA/UM Workers Alliance, the first UK-based video gaming union, after the developers behind Zero Parades for Dead Spies came together to “have the studio work as a collaborative project between the workers and management”.
This came after the team lost over 20 employees the year before, as part of a messy redundancy after a Disco Elysium expansion was cancelled.
Earlier this year, at the Game Developers Conference (GDC), the United Videogame Workers (UVW) union was officially launched, organised under the Communications Workers of America. While the UVW launched with only 100 members, it had already grown to 200 on the first day. Its mission statement focuses on the current trend of low wages, long hours, and the instability of the industry.
The CWA has also brought several other industry professionals into its fold, with various Blizzard employees working on games such as Hearthstone, Diablo, and World of Warcraft joining the CWA.
Rockstar Games’s rap sheet
Rockstar Games has had a difficult history when it comes to treating its workers with respect and dignity. Back in 2018, close to the release of Red Dead Redemption 2, Jason Schreir released a feature on the devastating culture of crunch within the studio.
Schreir reported that Rockstar Games cultivated a “culture of fear” where “overtime is mandatory” and employees feared “retaliation for speaking up”. While Jason Schreier has claimed that Rockstar “certainly hasn’t eliminated all overtime” for Grand Theft Auto 6, it is still “night and day from previous projects”. However, one has to wonder how the development of GTA 6 would have looked had Rockstar Games not been under such scrutiny.
As well as poor working conditions, workers are coming together to protect themselves against the constant layoffs and studio closures that have been pervasive in the industry.. Kelly Yeo, Team 3 Game Producer on Diablo, put out as part of a CWA statement that, as a result of layoffs, she has “witnessed the dread in my coworkers grow stronger because it feels like no amount of hard work is enough to protect us”.
Take-Two Interactive, Rockstar Games’ parent company, is part of this, having announced plans to cut 5% of its workforce last year, despite just months earlier saying it had no current plans for layoffs.
Capitalism ruins everything for everyone
When EA was bought out by a group of private investors, the CWA had to state that it was not represented in the negotiations. They claimed that while EA made “$1 billion in profit each year”, the workers would still be “jeopardised as a result of this deal” and feared for the future of studios “arbitrarily deemed ‘less profitable’”.
EA has said little regarding this deal, simply saying its “mission, values, and commitment to players” haven’t changed. With net revenue of $1.8 billion just in the last quarter, why would they say anything if they didn’t have to?
The bottom line is: while Rockstar makes games, it is in the business of making money. Grand Theft Auto 5 reportedly made $1 billion in just its first three days, and we can expect Grand Theft Auto 6 to do even better than that. For all the complaining about work conditions, Red Dead Redemption 2 made $725 million in its opening weekend.
Even if Rockstar Games does get caught in legal trouble, the costs involved are likely so much less than the potential costs of actually allowing unionization and all the expectations that come with it into their fold. For now, we will have to wait and see if these firings will unfold into something bigger, or if they incentivize Rockstar Games workers to join a union.
FAQs
DMA Design Limited was founded in Scotland, and after the success of Grand Theft Auto in 1997, was bought by Take-Two Interactive. When Take-Two founded Rockstar Games in the US in 1998, it renamed the original studio Rockstar North.
Rockstar Games is renowned for creating the Grand Theft Auto series, with the latest installment, Grand Theft Auto 6, scheduled for release on May 26, 2026.
Grand Theft Auto was developed by DMA Design, later called Rockstar North. It was directed and programmed by Keith Hamilton, who is also credited as the author of the earliest known design document for Grand Theft Auto.
The gaming industry is becoming increasingly unionized, with major unions represented by the Communication Workers of America and the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain. US-based gaming voice actors are also unionized under SAG-AFTRA.
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