Rockstar Devs Form IWGB Union After Mass Firings Ahead of GTA 6 Launch

Staff at Rockstar Games have formed the Rockstar Game Workers Union under the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain, going public this week with a video laying out their grievances and goals. The push centers on pay transparency, flexible working arrangements, and ending the crunch culture that has long dogged the studio behind Grand Theft Auto.

The organizing drive follows the dismissal of more than 30 employees last year for what Rockstar called gross misconduct. The IWGB characterizes those firings as union busting and is taking the company to court, with a trial date reportedly set but not yet disclosed. The union says the firings accelerated recruitment rather than chilling it, drawing members from Rockstar’s Edinburgh, London, Leeds, Lincoln, and Dundee offices.

Politicians have separately accused Rockstar of attempting to obstruct the legal proceedings. The timing is awkward for the publisher, which is preparing for the launch of GTA 6, one of the most anticipated and commercially significant releases in the industry’s history.