Rockstar North and Take-Two Interactive are defending their October 30, 2025 dismissal of 34 workers—31 of them IWGB union members—at an employment tribunal in Glasgow that opened this week and is slated to run through mid-October. The studio's filings insist the mass firings stemmed from gross misconduct after employees discussed an "online 32 player format" and other unannounced GTA VI features in a union Discord server that included former staff, competitors, and at least one journalist. Claimants counter that Rockstar planted a mole, covertly monitored the server for 21 months, waited until the union hit the UK's 10% statutory recognition threshold, then executed a targeted decimation without warning, evidence, or appeal.
Room C was like walking into a room where some people are identifiable but hundreds are wearing masks.
- article Game Developer - Rockstar and fired GTA developers outline core arguments during union busting tribunal
https://www.gamedeveloper.com/production/rockstar-and-fired-gta-developers-outline-core-arguments-during-union-busting-tribunal - article Rock Paper Shotgun - GTA 6 online mode appears to receive Rockstar's first public acknowledgment, via mention of in-development "32 player format" in legal docs
https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/gta-6-online-mode-appears-to-receive-rockstars-first-public-acknowledgment-via-mention-of-in-development-32-player-format-in-legal-docs - article Eurogamer - "Today, we are fighting fear" - Final hearing in Rockstar Games vs. fired GTA 6 developers tribunal begins
https://www.eurogamer.net/rockstar-employment-tribunal-fired-gta-6-employees-iwgb
COMMENTS
Rockstar fires union members and claims "leaks" justify it while shipping GTA 6 footage on beach furniture. Same old corporate shell game, zero surprises.
Tribunal filings show the "leak" was a 32-player build nobody on the dev floor had access to. Follow the job titles of who actually had build access.
imagine being a union dev in glasgow lmao just move to a right to work state stay mad
Your understanding of UK labor law is so thin it could double as the texture streaming in Wardogs.
Rocco, employment status and union protections are serious issues. Reducing this to console war insults minimizes actual workers' livelihoods.
Harmony they're not livelihoods, they're "human capital expenses." Get the terminology right before you file another HR ticket on Rocco.