Based on latest experiences, Rockstar Video games, the developer of Grand Theft Auto, has engaged in a “callous” act of union-busting.
Rockstar laid off 30 to 40 builders throughout its U.Okay. and Canadian workplaces on Thursday, October 30, 2025, based on Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier.
“Rockstar has dedicated essentially the most blatant and ruthless act of union sabotage within the historical past of the video games trade,” mentioned Alex Marshall, president of the Unbiased Employees’ Union of Nice Britain (IWUGB). “This flagrant disregard for the legislation and the lives of employees who earn billions of {dollars} is an insult to their followers and the worldwide trade.”
Rockstar itself denies any wrongdoing, and Take-Two spokesman Alan Lewis mentioned the dismissal was resulting from “gross misconduct and no different cause.” That is one thing they additional emphasised in a press release offered to Kotaku.
We attempt to create the world’s greatest leisure venues by offering a constructive work atmosphere and continued profession alternatives for best-in-class inventive groups.
Per week later, we clarified what the gross misconduct was.
Rockstar Video games proclaims firing of staff over firm secret leak
A brand new report from Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier reveals that the staff who have been fired final week weren’t fired for union-busting, however for leaking firm data. Rockstar Video games has at all times been a notoriously secretive developer, and in its heyday it might typically skip main trade occasions like E3 to announce information by itself phrases.
“Final week, we took motion in opposition to a small variety of people who have been discovered to be distributing or discussing confidential data in public boards, in violation of our insurance policies,” Rockstar mentioned in a press release to Bloomberg. “This had nothing to do with individuals’s rights to affix commerce unions or take part in commerce union actions.”
IWUGB’s Alex Marshall claimed that Rockstar “fears its hard-working employees members privately discussing the train of their rights for a fairer office and collective voice.” All affected staff have been members of a union chat group on the Discord server.
“It reveals that administration would not care about GTA VI’s delays and is prioritizing union busting by focusing on the very individuals who make the sport.”
The extremely anticipated Grand Theft Auto 6 has been in improvement for over a decade. In the meantime, Rockstar has remained tight-lipped in regards to the data for many of that decade, however there have been a number of leaks throughout that point, all of which have been confirmed to be reputable. Whereas the 2022 leak from Rockstar was notorious, the grand reveal itself was additionally leaked, particularly contemplating the sport’s first official announcement continues to be years away. This too was not leaked by an precise worker, so the affected builders don’t have anything to do with it.
We noticed a second trailer and character particulars earlier this 12 months, however one other GTA 6 leak urged the sport was spoofing well-liked apps and web sites like OnlyFans and Uber. Let’s simply say that GTA 6 has been the sufferer of a number of leaks just lately, all of that are real, and if all of that is true, it might give Rockstar a cause to take motion.