Following up on the formation of the Rockstar Game Workers Union (RGWU) from back in May, employees of at the studio have now applied for the company to voluntarily recognize the IWGB (Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain), according to IGN. If successful, this would make Rockstar Games the second game development studio in the UK to recognize a union, alongside ZERO PARADES developer ZA/UM.
The IWGB has noted that it represents a “significant portion” of the studio’s workforce across its offices in Edinburgh, Dundee, Lincoln, Leeds, and London. Rockstar Games’ recognition of the union would lead to employees at the studio getting better protections and rights thanks to collective bargaining on a range of issues.
“Rockstar leads the industry in the games we create,” said Rockstar North senior QA tester Josh Walter. We believe it can also lead the industry in how it treats the people who make them. There is so much that is special about the studio and the work we put out. We want to protect that. When people are confronted with pay disparities, excessive overtime, or a lack of flexibility in arrangements, they are not in the best position to do their best work. We want to sit down with management and build a future where both the games and the conditions of the people who make them are as strong as possible.”
“This is a landmark moment for the Rockstar Game Workers Union, and hopefully for the industry as a whole,” said production coordinator Shanti Easton-Steel. “It’s thanks to the hard work of so many of our members — both those currently with us and those who were fired last October — that we are now in a strong enough position to pursue formal recognition. Whilst it’s painful that our dismissed colleagues are not here to share this milestone moment, the best way we can honour their contribution now is by succeeding in the fight they helped us to start and making them proud to have been a part of it.
“This recognition bid only comes after years of effort by our members and could not have happened without the support of many of our non-member colleagues too. We hope lots more people will now feel comfortable to join the union, but even for those that don’t, we ask that they remain supportive of the cause as we move forward with momentum towards our key objectives of pay transparency, fairer crunch practices and better flexible working arrangements.”
Rockstar Games has confirmed in a statement that it will be discussing the recognition of the union in an “open and constructive dialogue with all stakeholders.” The company also said that it has “fostered a culture which is focused on teamwork, excellence, and kindness, and where we support and reward the team across all levels of the business through competitive compensation and benefits policies. We are proud that, as a result, our employee retention is well above the industry standard.”
In the meantime, Rockstar Games has been facing legal troubles with allegations of union-busting activities linked to its firing of 31 employees back in November 2025. IWGB president Alex Marshall has claimed that Grand Theft Auto 6 has already made more than $3 billion in pre-order sales. “Rockstar bosses can easily afford to sit around the table with the people whose hard work created these games and give them a meaningful voice in their workplace,” he said.
It is worth noting that Rockstar Games may ultimately decide not to recognize the union. This would likely lead to the IWGB requesting statutory recognition from the country’s Department for Business and Trade’s Central Arbitration Committee. IWGB has also said that its “Members will decide the organizing strategy they use to secure” the recognition when asked about whether a strike is on the table.
