The Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) has accused Rockstar Games — developer of Grand Theft Auto VI — of engaging in union-busting after the studio dismissed roughly 30 to 40 staff across its U.K. and Canadian offices last week, according to reporting from Bloomberg. The story says every person let go was connected to a private union discussion group on Discord and was either already a union member or in the process of organizing colleagues.
IWGB president Alex Marshall condemned the dismissals, calling them “one of the most blatant and ruthless acts of union busting in the history of the games industry” and saying the moves reflect a “flagrant contempt for the law and for the lives of the workers who bring in their billions.”
Take-Two Interactive, Rockstar’s parent company and the publisher of the Grand Theft Auto franchise, told Bloomberg the terminations resulted from “gross misconduct” and that it supports Rockstar’s handling of the matter. IWGB has not yet disclosed whether it will pursue legal action in response to the allegations.
Grand Theft Auto VI is scheduled to launch on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S on May 26, 2026, after being postponed from an earlier 2025 target. More details and updates will be added as further information becomes available.
Sources: Bloomberg; Game Informer — reporting on the layoffs and the game’s release schedule.
