The studio behind the record-shattering Grand Theft Auto series is once again facing intense scrutiny, but this time, it’s not for a game reveal or a leak. Rockstar Games, a subsidiary of Take-Two Interactive, has fired between 30 and 40 employees across its UK and Canada offices, a move that has been immediately condemned by a major workers' union as a blatant act of union busting.
The news, first reported by Bloomberg, has sent shockwaves through the gaming industry, reigniting long-standing conversations about workers' rights, corporate overreach, and the intense pressure surrounding the development of the highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto VI.
A Coordinated Crackdown or Justified Dismissals?
According to the report, the dismissals, which took place on Thursday, October 30th, targeted employees who were members of a private Discord server. This server was used by Rockstar workers to discuss workplace conditions and their rights. Notably, several participants in the group were members of The Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB), while others were reportedly exploring the possibility of forming a union within the studio.
The IWGB did not mince words in its response. Union President Alex Marshall issued a scathing statement, accusing Rockstar of acting with "flagrant contempt for the law and for the lives of the workers who bring in their billions," calling the firings "an insult to their fans and the global industry."
In a stark rebuttal, Alan Lewis, a spokesman for Take-Two Interactive, claimed the terminations were solely for "gross misconduct, and for no other reason." This official line, however, has been met with deep skepticism from both the union and the gaming community at large.
According to the original report from Bloomberg, the situation highlights the growing tension between game development studios and organized labor efforts.
A Troubled History with Employee Treatment
For many industry observers, these allegations feel like a recurring nightmare for the famed developer. Rockstar’s reputation for demanding "crunch" — prolonged periods of intense, mandatory overtime — is well-documented. During the development of Red Dead Redemption 2, stories of 100-hour workweeks sparked a revolt among staff and a public relations crisis for the company.
In the years that followed, Rockstar management pledged to reform its culture. By 2022, as full-scale development on GTA 6 began, reports suggested the studio had indeed become a less demanding place to work. However, this newfound progress seemed to falter earlier in 2024 when the IWGB publicly criticized Rockstar for mandating a full return to office, ending flexible remote work policies. The studio justified the move as necessary to boost productivity and control the persistent leaks about its upcoming projects, a decision that echoed a wider, and often controversial, industry trend.
This pattern has led many to view the latest firings not as an isolated incident, but as part of a broader corporate strategy to suppress worker organization. The notion that several dozen employees across two different countries simultaneously engaged in unrelated acts of "gross misconduct" strikes critics as highly improbable.
"This is a textbook case," said one anonymous industry developer on social media. "You see a group talking about collective action, and suddenly, they're all gone for 'conduct' reasons. It's a message to everyone else: don't try to organize."
What Does This Mean for the Future of Rockstar and GTA 6?
The immediate fallout from these dismissals is twofold. First, it has galvanized a segment of the gaming community to stand in solidarity with the fired workers, using the hashtag #BoycottRockstar in some circles. In an industry still reeling from thousands of layoffs in recent years, public sentiment is increasingly sympathetic to developers.
Second, it has raised anxious questions about the development timeline for Grand Theft Auto VI. While it is entirely possible that the terminated employees were not directly working on the flagship title, the loss of dozens of experienced staff and the resulting internal morale crisis is unlikely to have a positive effect. Fans are now left to wonder if this internal turmoil could lead to another delay for the most anticipated game in the world.
The situation remains fluid, with the IWGB vowing to challenge the dismissals and fight for the workers' reinstatement. For now, Rockstar Games finds itself at a critical juncture. The studio that built its legacy on satirizing corporate greed and corruption now stands accused of embodying those very principles, a contradiction that has plagued its internal work culture for years. As the legal and public relations battles loom, one thing is clear: the road to GTA 6 has just become significantly rockier.
Rockstar Games, the studio behind 'Grand Theft Auto,' fired up to 40 employees. A labor group said it's union busting. The company cites misconduct. https://t.co/XkpWOy2ctE
— Bloomberg (@business) October 31, 2025