Grand Theft Auto developer Rockstar Games denies firing workers for union activity

Rockstar maintains employees dismissed for sharing confidential company information on a Discord server

A senior executive at Rockstar Games, the developer behind the Grand Theft Auto video game, denied monitoring employees' union membership as an employment tribunal examined the dismissal of 34 workers.

Robert Spampinato, the company's vice president of human resources, told the tribunal in Glasgow, Scotland, that allegations he had instructed managers to "keep tabs" on union membership were "categorically not true."

Twenty-three former employees, most previously based at Rockstar North in Edinburgh, are challenging their October 2025 dismissals with support from the Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain (IWGB).

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

The union alleges the workers were targeted for trade union activities, while Rockstar maintains they were dismissed for sharing confidential company information on a Discord server.

The tribunal heard that an anonymous employee had passed information about union meetings and recruitment activities to Human Resources managers.

Grand Theft Union? GTA 6 maker’s HR boss denies ‘spying’ on employees as 23 sacked staff take Rockstar to tribunal https://t.co/oCzc0CXhdt

— LBC (@LBC) October 14, 2026

Spampinato acknowledged that the information helped management follow workplace grievances but denied any attempt to suppress union activity.

Asked why the dismissals occurred in October 2025 despite some information being available earlier, he said Rockstar was in "crisis mode" because of delays to Grand Theft Auto 6.

"We were in a moment when we knew we were running late on the development," he said.

The game is scheduled for release on November 19 after two delays.

The tribunal proceedings are continuing.