Fired GTA 6 developers launch public union ahead of Rockstar tribunal hearing

Former Rockstar Games developers have launched the public arm of their union and confirmed that a tribunal hearing linked to their dismissal case is moving forward.

The Rockstar Game Workers Union, affiliated with the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB), went public on May 28 through a video outlining the group’s claims, objectives, and ongoing legal action against the company.

According to the union, Rockstar dismissed 31 developers across its UK studios on 30 October 2025.

The group alleged that office staff were escorted from company buildings while remote workers lost access to company systems within hours. The union stated that all of the dismissed UK employees were members of the IWGB’s Rockstar branch.

In its public statement, the union described the dismissals as “one of the most blatant and ruthless acts of union busting the games industry has ever seen.”

The union also alleged that Rockstar reported workers on sponsored visas to the Home Office, which it claimed resulted in employees losing “not only their jobs, but their homes, their pets, and their communities.”

Rockstar has maintained that the dismissals were related to gross misconduct involving confidential information allegedly shared in what the company described as a public forum.

The company has denied that union membership influenced the decision. The IWGB disputes this account, arguing that the communications took place in a private union Discord channel.

The dispute prompted protests in Edinburgh, London, Paris, and New York. More than 200 Rockstar employees reportedly signed a letter calling for the dismissed workers to be reinstated.

The case also drew political attention after UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said ministers would look into the matter following questions raised in parliament.

The union stated that membership has since expanded across all five of Rockstar’s UK offices. It said its current priorities include pay transparency, flexible working arrangements, and ending workplace crunch practices.

While the union confirmed that a full tribunal hearing date has been set, it has not yet made the date public.