Fired GTA 6 devs denied financial relief from UK court, Rockstar approves

A UK employment tribunal has denied a request for interim relief from former Rockstar Games developers who were dismissed in late 2025. Rockstar reportedly terminated a total of 34 developers, including 31 based in the UK and three in Canada. The former Rockstar employees, who were working on GTA 6, allege that they were dismissed for unionizing. Meanwhile, Rockstar maintains that the employees were let go for sharing confidential information about upcoming and unannounced projects on Discord.

Interim relief is a legal mechanism that provides workers with income and support as they await a full hearing. The Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) applied for interim relief on behalf of the fired GTA 6 developers at a preliminary tribunal hearing. Had the request been granted, the employees would have been returned to Rockstar’s payroll.

According to Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier, Employment Judge Frances Eccles denied the request, finding that the claimants had not demonstrated a “pretty good chance of success” in proving that their dismissals were primarily linked to union membership.

Schreier elaborates that although some of the dismissed employees “posted very little” in the Discord server cited by Rockstar, Judge Eccles accepted the company’s argument that the group included around 350 members. These reportedly included former Rockstar employees and at least one journalist covering the video games industry. This Discord group is where the fired employees allegedly discussed working conditions at Rockstar and the development state of GTA 6.

Judge Eccles also reportedly noted that the three employees dismissed in Canada were not union members, suggesting that union membership could not have been a factor in their terminations.

Rockstar welcomes ruling denying interim relief to fired GTA 6 developers

In a statement provided to IGN, a Rockstar Games spokesperson says, “We welcome the decision, which is consistent with Rockstar’s position throughout”. The spokesperson adds, “We regret that we were put in a position where dismissals were necessary, but we stand by our course of action as supported by the outcome of this hearing”.

Lord John Hendy KC, representing the fired developers, reportedly argued that sharing confidential information in a group containing third parties did not amount to “gross misconduct,” a claim Rockstar disputes as not credible.

Lord Hendy KC also reportedly suggested that there was, at most, only a “risk” of a leak. However, Rockstar argues that posting confidential information in a public forum constitutes a “leak” because it was shared with third-party individuals outside of Rockstar, including journalists and individuals who work at competitors.

Following the ruling, the IWGB provided a statement to IGN, saying, “The judge’s decision is disappointing but does nothing to dampen our hopes of winning justice when the full hearing takes place”. The statement continues, “We are emerging from this hearing, having now had a glimpse of Rockstar’s flimsy grounds for defence, feeling bolstered in our claims that these firings were not just deeply unjust but also plainly unlawful”.

The IWGB further notes that they “have always been clear that Interim Relief is an incredibly high bar to meet as a temporary measure before the substantive tribunal, and it would have been almost unprecedented for a Judge to award this to a group of this size”. However, just because the fired employees were denied interim relief, it “does nothing to suggest that Rockstar will not be found guilty of unfair dismissal when the case goes to trial”.

GTA 6 leaks

Rockstar has not publicly identified any specific leaks linked directly to the dismissed developers. However, GTA 6 has been the subject of multiple alleged leaks during its development, none of which have been officially attributed to the 34 former employees.

Some alleged details have been shared on X by user GameRoll_, who accurately revealed online the names of the game’s two playable protagonists, Jason and Lucia, before they were confirmed in the second GTA 6 trailer. GameRoll_ reported that GTA 6 has more than 700 enterable interiors, the return of a six-star wanted level, and a relationship mechanic that evolves over time between the two protagonists.

GameRoll_ has also claimed that the dynamic cover system seen in the 2022 hacker-leaked gameplay footage has been scrapped. No gameplay leaks have surfaced since the hacking incident, though a brief animation clip featuring Jason and Lucia appeared online as part of a former Rockstar animator’s professional portfolio.

In 2025, registered domains were also uncovered, possibly revealing in-game mobile apps such as a spoof of WhatsApp. These uncovered domains were instantly hidden by Rockstar and its parent company, Take-Two Interactive.

GTA 6 is currently scheduled for release on November 19, 2026, following its most recent delay. Jason Schreier has reported that GTA 6 is not yet content-complete, but this doesn’t mean the game will be delayed a third time, as he believes a November 2026 launch appears more realistic than the previously planned release dates of Fall 2025 and May 2026.