Highlights
- U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer called Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto VI (GTA VI) developers' firings “deeply concerning,” and promised to review whether the dismissals violated U.K. labor laws.
- The IWGB union accused Rockstar of targeting employees involved in workplace rights discussions, backed by PMG reports contradicting Rockstar’s stated reasons for termination.
- Over 220 Rockstar North employees condemned the action, and protests spread across London, Edinburgh, and Paris. Rockstar and Take-Two continue to deny all claims of union retaliation.
U.K. Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, intends to examine Rockstar Games’ dismissal of 31 Grand Theft Auto VI (GTA VI) developers, after questions were raised in Parliament over whether the firings violated U.K. labor protections. Starmer described the controversy as “deeply concerning” during Prime Minister’s Questions, on Dec 10.
Starmer’s intervention follows remarks by Chris Murray, Labor MP for Edinburgh East and Musselburgh, who highlighted the incident to Starmer for clarity after meeting with Rockstar. Murray said the studio failed to provide evidence to support its following U.K. labor laws, adding that The Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain (IWGB) also suspects union busting regarding the recent firings.
On Oct 30, 2025, Rockstar Games terminated 31 employees “without providing evidence or union representation,” Murray highlighted at the parliament. The company asserted the action followed serious violations of internal policy, and the said staff members were leaking confidential information outside the organization.
Starmer said the government would evaluate the claims and ensure that workers “don't face unfair consequences for being part of a union,” signaling potential scrutiny of labor practices inside one of the UK’s most prominent game studios.
Aftermath of Rockstar’s Disputed Reasoning and Industry Fallout
IWGB alleged the company targeted staff involved in union discussions about a fairer workplace, prompting accusations of union-busting. IWGB President Alex Marshall, further noted that Rockstar is possibly “afraid of hard-working staff privately discussing exercising their rights.”
Rockstar said the firings were tied to “violation of…company policies,” but did not disclose specific allegations. Reporting from People Make Games (PMG) disputed their rationale; they alleged that Rockstar’s claimed “confidential information” was the discussion about Slack policies on an invite-only Discord group.
The IWGB subsequently accused the studio of executing one of the largest coordinated anti-union actions in the U.K. games industry, filing unfair dismissal claims and calling public protests. Roughly 220 employers of Rockstar North signed statements condemning the dismissals and urging “the immediate reinstatement of their colleagues.”
The case has broadened into a debate over corporate accountability, drawing examples of ongoing labor disputes in the tech and entertainment sectors. As per a Bloomberg report, terminated employees were either part of a union or were trying to organize, proving Marshall’s allegations that Rockstar’s stance was “the most blatant and ruthless act of union busting.”
As of now, the situation remains heated, while government personnel such as Murray and Starmer criticized Rockstar’s decision. Rockstar’s parent company, Take-Two Interactive, has refuted every allegation, saying, “our culture is focused on teamwork, excellence, and kindness.” Along with IWGB’s legal filings, large protests took place not only in London and Edinburgh, but at the company's Paris headquarters as well.
The situation raises questions about workplace rights, corporate governance in the U.K., and the broader game industry. Rockstar is considered one of U.K.’s most commercially successful game studios and the backbone of Take-Two Interactive’s valuation. The last installment, GTA V, alone has sold more than 200M copies globally, generating $10B, according to Take-Two’s latest financial disclosures.
