Former Rockstar Employees Challenge Company’s Latest Statement, Citing “Falsehoods and Disinformation”

Rockstar Games Denies Union-Busting Claims as UK Government Investigation Continues

Rockstar Games has once again refuted allegations of union-busting following the termination of more than 30 employees, describing the claims as “entirely false and misleading.” The company maintains that the dismissals were due to staff discussing “confidential information, including specific game features from upcoming and unannounced titles, in a public forum.”

The controversy has escalated to the point where the UK government has launched an investigation into the matter, highlighting growing concerns about labor practices within the gaming industry.

In response to Rockstar’s denial, the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) issued a strongly-worded statement to several media outlets, including Eurogamer. The union claimed Rockstar’s statement was “littered with falsehoods and disinformation,” suggesting the company had provided “multiple, conflicting reasons to explain why the workers were fired, as if attempting to reverse engineer a rationale for the dismissals.”

The IWGB further challenged Rockstar’s characterization of events, stating, “Once again, they have chosen to mischaracterize workers speaking about their working conditions in a private forum as ‘leaking information.'” The union described the company’s response as “a desperate attempt to deflect from the global scrutiny they have come under over the last month.”

According to industry sources, the origins of the dispute date back to a change in Rockstar’s internal communication policies several years ago. After the company allegedly modified its Slack usage policy, developers reportedly migrated to Discord for discussions. This platform eventually became a space where employees began discussing unionization efforts, which some believe may have triggered the company’s response.

The situation has drawn attention from high-profile figures, with the IWGB noting that everyone from “the UK Prime Minister in the House of Commons, to game developers across the world erupting in protest” is closely monitoring Rockstar’s handling of the situation. The union characterized the company’s actions as a “lawless attack on the people who make them their billions.”

Despite filing a legal claim through the IWGB and expressing their desire to return to work on the highly anticipated “Grand Theft Auto 6,” the terminated developers have found Rockstar unwilling to change its position. The ongoing dispute raises questions about workers’ rights in the gaming industry, where unionization efforts have gained momentum in recent years amid concerns about workplace conditions and job security.

This labor dispute comes at a critical time for Rockstar Games, as “Grand Theft Auto 6” has already faced two delays. The game is now scheduled for release on November 19, 2026, for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S platforms. Company representatives have stated that the recent firings have not impacted the latest delay, though industry analysts remain skeptical.

The stakes are extraordinarily high for parent company Take-Two Interactive, with CEO Strauss Zelnick maintaining that GTA 6 will deliver an “unrivalled blockbuster entertainment experience.” The Grand Theft Auto franchise represents one of the most valuable properties in the entertainment industry, with its previous installment, GTA 5, having sold over 190 million copies worldwide and generating billions in revenue.

As the investigation continues, the situation highlights the growing tension between traditional corporate practices and the evolving landscape of worker organization in the technology and gaming sectors, where employees increasingly seek greater representation and protection in an industry known for challenging working conditions and project-based employment uncertainty.