Rockstar Games has recently faced criticism for having fired between 30 and 40 of its employees, with the studio facing the accusation of an attempt at busting a union that was in the process of being formed. In a new statement to Bloomberg, a spokesperson for Rockstar Games has said that it decided to fire these employees because they were “distributing and discussing confidential information in a public forum.”
In the statement, the spokesperson referred to the fired developers in talks with representatives of the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB). At the same time, the statement is also an attempt to dispel the idea that Rockstar might partake in union-busting activities.
“Last week, we took action against a small number of individuals who were found to be distributing and discussing confidential information in a public forum, a violation of our company policies,” said the spokesperson. “This was in no way related to people’s right to join a union or engage in union activities.”
The IWGB had released its own statement earlier this month when the firings took place, calling the act “one of the most blatant and ruthless acts of union busting” in the gaming industry at large. The statement, courtesy of IWGB president Alex Marshall, also called out the developer for its “flagrant contempt for the law”.
“Rockstar has just carried out one of the most blatant and ruthless acts of union busting in the history of the games industry,” said Marshall. “This flagrant contempt for the law and for the lives of the workers who bring in their billions is an insult to their fans and the global industry.”
In another statement made shortly after Take-Two Interactive spokesperson Alan Lewis said that the firings had taken place because the employees in question were responsible for “gross misconduct, and for no other reason,” Marshall responded by accusing the company of union busting.
Marshall said that Rockstar Games was “afraid of hard-working staff privately discussing exercising their rights for a fairer workplace and a collective voice. Management are showing they don’t care about delays to GTA VI, and that they’re prioritizing union-busting by targeting the very people who make the game.”
Historically speaking, Rockstar Games has taken security quite seriously, especially in the midst of developing what is referred to as one of the biggest upcoming launches in the gaming industry. One such leak for the upcoming Grand Theft Auto 6 had happened all the way back in 2023, with supposed gameplay footage as well as reports indicating that the title will feature a map that is twice the size of Grand Theft Auto 5.
In the meantime, Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick has spoken about why the next game in the franchise can’t be created with generative AI. In an interview, he cited concerns surrounding intellectual property rights, since things created by generative AI are typically considered to be “not protectable.”
Grand Theft Auto 6 is slated for release on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S on May 26, 2026.
