Following recent layoffs of 30 to 40 employees at Rockstar Games, the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) is organizing a protest. The demonstration will be held outside the London office of Take-Two Interactive, Rockstar’s parent company. In a social media video, the IWGB accused Rockstar of betraying its workers by actively working against unionization efforts.
Rockstar Games, the company behind Grand Theft Auto, is facing criticism after laying off over 30 employees who were members of the IWGB Union. As reported by Insider Gaming, the company claims these layoffs are a deliberate attempt to discourage union activity and intimidate staff. They argue the dismissals are illegal and represent a serious violation of workers’ rights and well-being.
Rather than prioritizing the development of the highly anticipated GTA 6, Rockstar Games has been accused of mistreating its employees – allegedly violating labor laws and letting go of dedicated staff who were working on the game. This has been seen as a disappointment to both the workers involved and fans eagerly awaiting the game’s release.
The protest follows a statement from Rockstar Games explaining that the employees were let go due to a breach of company policy – specifically, sharing private information publicly. Rockstar also denied claims that these firings were intended to prevent employees from forming a union.
A company spokesperson said last week they addressed a situation where a few people shared private company information publicly, which goes against company rules. They clarified this action had nothing to do with any employee’s right to consider or join a union.
Earlier this month, after news broke about employee firings, Take-Two Interactive spokesperson Alan Lewis stated the dismissals were due to serious wrongdoing and were not related to any other factors. He also affirmed the company’s full support for Rockstar’s goals and methods.
The dismissals prompted the IWGB union to strongly criticize Rockstar, calling it a clear example of anti-union behavior within the video game industry. This criticism stemmed from the fact that the reason Rockstar gave for firing the employees – ‘serious misconduct’ – appeared to be simply contacting union representatives.
IWGB president Alex Marshall stated that Rockstar’s recent actions represent a particularly aggressive and harsh instance of discouraging unionization within the gaming industry. He described their disregard for legal procedures and the well-being of their employees – who generate substantial revenue for the company – as disrespectful to both their player base and the wider industry.
He also pointed out that Rockstar Games seems worried about its employees discussing the possibility of forming a union to improve working conditions. According to him, management is more focused on preventing unionization – even if it means delaying the release of GTA VI – than on supporting the people who actually create the game.
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2025-11-06 18:41