Rockstar Games, the developer behind GTA 6, has reportedly laid off between 30 and 40 employees across its UK and Canadian branches. The firings took place on Thursday, according to the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain via Bloomberg’s report. The British union body condemned the move as a ‘blatant and ruthless’ act of union busting. Rockstar said all the fired staff were either already part of, or trying to start, a private union chat group on Discord.
“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,” said IWGB president Alex Marshall.
Meanwhile, Rockstar’s parent company, Take‑Two Interactive, denied the allegations. A spokesperson stated that the terminations were solely for ‘gross misconduct’ and fully supports Rockstar’s approach.
This incident comes as unionisation efforts are gaining traction in the industry. Activision-Blizzard‘s Boston-based studio, Proletariat Inc., tried to form a union, but management declined voluntary recognition and requested an official vote through the US labour board instead. At Fallout‘s ZeniMax Studios, 300 testers successfully organized with the Communications Workers of America, becoming one of the largest unions in the industry.
On the other hand, Rockstar’s development culture has tightened in recent years. Especially after the massive 2022 leak that exposed hours of early GTA 6 footage online. Since then, the company has leaned heavily on ‘security reasons’ to justify stricter measures, including a full return-to-office mandate last year.
For now, it’s unclear whether the firings will affect GTA 6‘s launch, as it’s still slated for release on May 26, 2026. Nevertheless, the game is currently being built with a massive worldwide support network. Rockstar India, the studio’s largest production hub, is said to handle much of the asset creation and environment work.
