Rockstar Games Developers Announce Founding of Rockstar Game Workers Union

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Okay, so big news – the developers at Rockstar Games just announced they’ve officially formed a union! It’s called the Rockstar Game Workers Union, or RGWU for short. They’re working with the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain, which they were already connected to, so this feels like a natural step. They broke the news on social media with a video explaining why they did it and what they’re hoping to achieve – it’s pretty cool to see them taking this initiative.

So, I was watching a video that brought up how Rockstar laid off a bunch of developers back in October 2025, and it reminded me of all the stuff people were saying about them trying to prevent people from forming a union. Apparently, this new group, the RGWU, showed up right before the lawsuit from IWGB against Rockstar – the one about Grand Theft Auto 6 – is finally going to court. It feels like everything’s coming to a head.

Earlier this month, Rockstar Games faced criticism from Scottish Labour MPs who claimed the company was obstructing legal processes. The IWGB stated that MPs Chris Murray, Dr. Scott Arthur, and Tracy Gilbert had formally requested Rockstar to be more open and cooperative with the legal proceedings.

Gilbert stated that all workers deserve a fair way to appeal decisions and have their concerns addressed. He expressed disappointment with Rockstar’s lack of communication with employees, their representatives, and unions during this process. He believes that requests for fairness, openness, and respect shouldn’t be ignored, particularly when people’s jobs and rights are on the line.

IWGB president Alex Marshall criticized the studio for delaying legal proceedings for the past six months, accusing them of disrespecting UK trade union laws.

Since the layoffs occurred, we’ve faced six months of resistance from Rockstar’s legal team. We initially believed the company fired 31 of our members to discourage unionization, and their lack of cooperation throughout the legal process has only confirmed that belief.

Rockstar workers are showing that any game studio, regardless of its size, wealth, or reputation, can be held accountable when employees stand together. Thanks to their persistent protests, media outreach, and legal efforts, our members have brought attention to unfair practices at these large companies and made it clear to executives that game workers are actively forming unions and are prepared to fight for their rights.

The accusations surfaced after UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer learned about the company’s actions. He announced an investigation into Rockstar Games, emphasizing that “all workers have the right to join a union, and we are committed to protecting their rights and ensuring they aren’t penalized for union membership.”

Okay, so Rockstar’s saying all this talk about them trying to stop people from unionizing is totally untrue. They put out a statement saying those claims about the recent layoffs being connected to union busting are completely false and misleading. Basically, they’re denying everything.

Rockstar Games has taken action against a small number of people in the UK and other countries who shared secret company information online, including details about games that haven’t been announced yet. This violated company rules and legal agreements. The studio has stated that claims these actions were related to union involvement are untrue.

GTA fans have been eagerly awaiting news, and now it’s here! We’re excited to announce the launch of the Rockstar IWGB Game Workers Union – a platform for us to share our experiences. You can learn more here: youtu.be/iLOq_6rOpoM

— RSGWU (@rsgworkersunion.bsky.social) 2026-05-28T11:30:42.468Z

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2026-05-29 18:43