Rockstar Games fires 30-40 employees in union busting move
Rockstar Games dismissed between 30 and 40 workers from its British and Canadian offices this week in what labor organizers are calling targeted retaliation against union activity. The Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain said every terminated employee had been working to form a collective bargaining unit at the studio behind Grand Theft Auto.
Alex Marshall, who leads the IWGB, described the firings as the most aggressive anti-union action ever seen in video game development. Take-Two Interactive, which owns Rockstar, defended the decision through spokesman Alan Lewis by stating the workers were let go for serious workplace violations. He said the parent company backs how its subsidiary handled the matter.
Gaming industry employees have increasingly sought union representation since 2022. Multiple teams at Activision Blizzard and other major publishers have organized. Grand Theft Auto VI arrives for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S and X consoles on May 26, 2026, after shifting from its original fall 2025 target date. Rockstar previously delayed Red Dead Redemption 2 twice before its October 2018 release.
