UK Politicians Say GTA 6 Developer Rockstar ‘Refused to Properly Engage’ With Appeal Processes After Firing Staff Last Year

UK politicians have strongly criticized GTA 6 developer Rockstar for its firing of 34 workers last October, as legal wrangling continues over the staff dismissals.

Rockstar has publicly stated that it fired the employees for gross misconduct, and claimed they had broken confidentiality rules by sharing private information via Discord.

The IWGB Game Worker’s Union, however, has framed the incident as an example of alleged union busting, insisting the private Discord server involved was designed to host discussions on union efforts, and all the fired UK workers were members of its organization.

Earlier this year, an employment tribunal was held to determine whether the workers qualified for temporary financial relief — though the decision was made that they did not. Still, Rockstar faces a final decision regarding the allegation of union busting — and in the meantime, the IWGB has garnered support from a series of local MPs.

“From my first meeting with constituents impacted by Rockstar’s mass dismissal, I have held concerns with both the handling and motivation behind this action,” said Chris Murray, MP for Edinburgh East and Musselburgh. “I made my concerns clear during Prime Minister’s Questions, resulting in an ongoing ministerial investigation initiated by the Prime Minister.

“Constituents have lost their jobs, their income, with one constituent even forced to leave the country due to the removal of their visa sponsor. During a recent meeting with a constituent they explained Rockstar’s justification for their dismissal has varied throughout this process. Rockstar must answer this case with transparency and full cooperation and uphold the right to appeal.”

UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer was asked about the firings last December, and responded to say that the matter was “a deeply concerning case” which would be investigated further.

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Tracy Gilbert, MP for Edinburgh North and Leith, meanwhile stated that it was “extremely disappointing that Rockstar has refused to properly engage with staff, representatives and trade unions throughout this process. Workers asking for fairness, transparency and respect should not be met with silence and closed doors, especially when livelihoods and workplace rights are at stake.”

“When I visited Rockstar late last year alongside fellow MPs, my discussions with senior management emphasised their responsibility to treat staff in an open, fair, and transparent manner,” said a third politician, Dr. Scott Arthur, MP for Edinburgh South West. “It appears that these principles are not being consistently upheld in practice.

“The UK Government is overseeing the largest expansion of workers’ rights in a generation, and as Members of Parliament we have a duty to challenge unfair employment practices and unjust dismissals. Rockstar must therefore cooperate fully and transparently with any investigations into alleged union-busting and ensure that both dismissed and current employees are treated fairly and with respect.”

Several reports on the issue have examined what is alleged to have occured in more detail — most notably a in-depth investigation by People Make Games, which revealed the Discord interactions that appear to have caused the firings. It’s claimed that the impacted staff had discussed a specific message from Rockstar management regarding changes to the company’s Slack message policy, designed to cut down on off-topic conversations. It’s this sharing and discussing of an internal policy that is believed to have given Rockstar its legal justification to fire the workers.

Rockstar, however, insists the employees were fired because they leaked game features for upcoming and unannounced titles in the Discord. Issuing the interim ruling at the employment tribunal in January, Judge Frances Eccles said that because Rockstar dismissed three employees in Canada who were not members of the IWGB, their union membership could not have been a factor in their dismissal. If the interim relief had been granted, the fired workers would have been put back on Rockstar’s payroll and had their work visas reinstated where necessary.

According to information provided to IGN by a Rockstar Games spokesperson at the time, the ruling indicates that Judge Eccles believes that the IWGB is not “likely” to show that union activity or membership was the reason for their dismissal. The interim relief hearing was held in advance of a full tribunal, which will hear evidence from both sides at a later date.

IGN recently questioned Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick on the matter, who answered by defending the company’s culture and saying that the Rockstar parent company was “incredibly proud of our labor relations.”

Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social