Rockstar Games just fired up to 40 employees across its UK and Canadian offices in what union leaders are calling the most blatant act of union busting in gaming history. The firings hit workers who were part of a private Discord chat organizing union activity, coming just months before GTA VI's delayed 2026 launch.
The gaming industry just witnessed what union leaders are calling its most ruthless labor crackdown. Rockstar Games, the studio behind the highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto VI, terminated between 30 to 40 employees on Thursday across offices in the UK and Canada. According to the Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain (IWGB), every single fired employee was part of a private Discord chat where workers were organizing union activities.
"Rockstar has just carried out the most blatant and ruthless act of union busting in the history of the games industry," IWGB president Alex Marshall told The Verge. The accusation sent shockwaves through the industry, where unionization efforts have been gaining momentum despite corporate resistance.
Take-Two Interactive, Rockstar's parent company, pushed back hard against the union busting allegations. Alan Lewis, Head of Global Corporate Communications, told reporters the firings were "for gross misconduct, and for no other reason." But the company refused to elaborate on what specific misconduct occurred, leaving the industry to wonder if organizing labor activities now constitutes grounds for termination.
The timing couldn't be more suspicious. These mass firings come exactly seven months before GTA VI's scheduled May 26, 2026 release date - a launch that's already been delayed from its original fall 2025 window. Rockstar previously explained the delay saying they needed "extra time to deliver at the level of quality you expect and deserve." Now it appears they're also using that time to reshape their workforce.
The coordinated nature of the firings across multiple countries suggests this wasn't a spontaneous decision. According to union sources, the affected employees weren't just casual participants in workplace discussions - they were either formal union members or actively attempting to organize their colleagues. The fact that Rockstar somehow identified every worker in a private Discord chat raises serious questions about workplace surveillance.
"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," Marshall continued in his statement. The union is now preparing legal action, promising to "pursue every legal claim possible to ensure our members are reinstated and receive interim relief."
