Rockstar Games UK employees officially formed the Rockstar Game Workers Union, affiliated with the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) on May 28, 2026 [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. The union represents workers across Rockstar's UK offices in Edinburgh, London, Leeds, Lincoln, and Dundee [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
The union's launch followed the firing of 31 employees in October 2025, many of whom were union members, prompting allegations of union busting [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. Rockstar said the terminations were due to gross misconduct involving leaks of confidential game information. The union disputes this, calling the firings "the most blatant and ruthless act of union busting in the history of the games industry" and accusing the company of trying to suppress unionization efforts [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. Rockstar stated the workers were fired for misconduct tied to sharing confidential information [5].
The dispute has led to ongoing legal action, with court proceedings pending over the dismissals [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. Attempts to secure interim pay for the fired employees were denied by a UK employment tribunal in January 2026 [5].
Rockstar workers and their union are campaigning for pay transparency, flexible working arrangements, and an end to crunch time, citing worker wellbeing and fair treatment [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. The union declared, "We're determined to win justice for the 31 fired workers, and to show studios like Rockstar that they cannot get away with this disgusting treatment of the people whose talent, skill, and creativity are what capture their audiences, and generate their billions" [2].
The controversy has drawn attention from UK officials. In December 2025, Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the dismissals "deeply concerning" [2].
Take-Two Interactive, Rockstar's parent company, expects revenue over $8 billion in fiscal year 2027, driven mainly by the upcoming release of Grand Theft Auto 6 [3, 4]. GTA 6 is scheduled to launch on consoles on November 19, 2026, with no confirmed PC release date yet [2, 4].
The union formally announced itself with a public video and social media campaign on May 28, 2026 [3, 4, 5]. Legal proceedings over the October 2025 dismissals remain pending.
