Rockstar Games Employee Accuses Studio of Spreading Misinformation and Union Busting

In a move that has sent shockwaves through the gaming industry, Rockstar Games is facing mounting criticism after terminating over 30 employees, with one current staff member breaking ranks to condemn what they describe as union-busting tactics at the renowned Grand Theft Auto developer.

The anonymous employee, verified by administrators on GTA Forums and posting under the username “Organize,” has challenged the company’s official narrative surrounding the mass firings. According to their account, affected colleagues were individually summoned by HR for what was presented as a casual conversation, only to be handed termination letters citing “gross misconduct” upon arrival.

“Let me make this clear! I never saw any discussion/leaking of Rockstar projects in the Union Discord,” the whistleblower wrote, directly contradicting Rockstar’s public justification that employees were dismissed for “distributing and discussing confidential information in a public forum.”

Instead, Organize claims the communications took place in a private Discord server exclusively accessible to Rockstar employees and officials from the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB). The discussions reportedly focused solely on unionization efforts and workplace conditions, not confidential company projects or intellectual property.

“This was Union Busting and nothing else!” the employee declared. “Everyone fired was a Union Member, they were also predominantly from those who were on the Union Organising Committees of each UK studio.”

The firings have reportedly created a climate of fear within Rockstar’s UK studios, where the company maintains significant development operations for its billion-dollar franchises. With approximately 250 members reportedly participating in the union-related Discord group, concerns are growing that these initial terminations could be just the beginning of a broader crackdown.

“Those of us who are lucky and remain for now work in fear,” Organize revealed. “Fearful when talking to each other at the tea prep, fearful that we’re next in line and are easily got rid of, too scared to go outside the studio and talk to (or even acknowledge) our colleagues outside protesting in fear of reprisals.”

The employee described workplace morale as having hit “rock bottom” during what should be an exciting period for the company. Rockstar is currently developing Grand Theft Auto VI, one of the most anticipated video games in history and the latest installment in a franchise that has generated over $8 billion in revenue.

In response to the terminations, the IWGB organized a protest outside Take-Two Interactive’s London headquarters. Take-Two, Rockstar’s parent company, has seen its stock value more than double over the past five years, largely on the continued success of Grand Theft Auto V and its online component.

This controversy emerges amid growing labor activism across the gaming industry, which has historically relied on demanding work conditions, including the controversial practice of “crunch” – extended periods of mandatory overtime during game development cycles. Rockstar itself faced scrutiny in 2018 when co-founder Dan Houser mentioned “100-hour weeks” during the development of Red Dead Redemption 2, though the company later clarified that this referred only to the senior writing team for a limited period.

The current situation highlights the tensions between the highly profitable gaming industry and growing calls for worker protections. Labor organization in gaming has gained momentum following successful unionization efforts at studios like Activision Blizzard’s Raven Software and Microsoft’s ZeniMax.

As this story develops, industry observers will be watching closely to see whether the alleged union-busting tactics trigger regulatory scrutiny or further organization among Rockstar’s workforce, potentially setting precedents for labor relations across the gaming sector.