Rockstar Faces Tribunal Over Firing of 31 GTA 6 Developers

Rockstar Games, the studio behind Grand Theft Auto VI, appeared before a Glasgow Employment Tribunal today to defend itself against claims it unlawfully fired 31 developers last October. The allegations, brought by the Independent Workers of Great Britain union (IWGB), center on whether the dismissals were retaliation for union activity or a response to leaks about GTA 6’s development.

The IWGB claims that the workers were targeted and blacklisted due to their involvement in union organizing, and that the dismissals bypassed standard disciplinary procedures and denied the right of appeal. According to IGN, the union alleges that on the day of the firings, staff were called into meetings and immediately escorted from the building. Remote workers reportedly received abrupt phone calls before being locked out of their accounts. One worker, Will Mesilane, allegedly had his work visa revoked and was reported to the Home Office, forcing him to return to Australia without recourse to appeal.

Rockstar, however, maintains that the firings were due to gross misconduct: the leaking of confidential information about GTA 6 on Discord. The company claims the leaks included details about game features, progress, timelines, and internal IT security measures. Rockstar argues that if these leaks had reached the public, they could have affected parent company Take-Two's share price, noting that a separate GTA 6 delay announcement previously caused a $3.75 billion drop in market value in a single day.

Rockstar’s official statement to IGN reads: “Individuals across the UK and Canada were dismissed for gross misconduct following the sharing of confidential company information, not because of alleged trade union membership or activity. We reject the claims and will defend them vigorously before the tribunal.”

The company points to its longstanding zero-tolerance policy on leaks, referencing past firings in the UK, US, and India for similar breaches. Rockstar’s confidentiality rules are described as far stricter than industry norms, and the company insists every employee is fully aware of these policies. Disagreement remains over the nature of the Discord channel involved: Rockstar alleges it was not a private, staff-only space but included hundreds of users, some possibly from rival studios and the media. IWGB disputes this, insisting the channel was private.

Jason Lewis, a former Rockstar developer and IWGB member, emphasized the emotional toll on those fired: “We lost our jobs, our income, our community and the chance to see the game through to release after spending years helping to build it. It was devastating.” The fired developers are seeking reinstatement or compensation, and a tribunal ruling that their dismissals were unfair.

The hearing is expected to run until October 16, just a month before GTA 6’s scheduled release. Meanwhile, IWGB and Rockstar are still negotiating formal union recognition, with the union seeking improved pay transparency, job protections, an end to crunch, and more flexible work arrangements. If granted, Rockstar would become the largest unionized game studio in the UK.

IWGB president Alex Marshall framed the case as a test of workers’ rights: “If Rockstar can get away with firing workers for organizing, then every employer in Britain gets the message that they can do the same. We cannot let that happen.”

Despite their ongoing legal battle, the dismissed workers recently asked fans not to boycott GTA 6, but instead support their legal fund through merchandise sales. The outcome of the tribunal could have lasting implications for labor rights in the UK’s games industry and beyond.