Rockstar Games, the studio known for the Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption series, has reportedly laid off between 30 and 40 employees across its offices in the United Kingdom and Canada. The decision has drawn sharp criticism from the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB), which has accused the company of deliberately targeting staff involved in unionization efforts.
According to reports, the affected employees were part of a group attempting to form a union under the IWGB’s Game Workers branch. The union described the layoffs as a deliberate act of “union busting,” claiming that Rockstar sought to discourage collective organizing among its workforce. The IWGB stated that all dismissed employees were active participants in efforts to improve working conditions and gain formal representation.
Alex Marshall, president of the IWGB, released a statement condemning Rockstar’s actions. He said the company’s move represented “the most blatant and ruthless act of union busting in the history of the games industry.” Marshall added that the union intends to pursue every possible legal avenue to reinstate the affected workers and secure compensation for the dismissals.
Spring McParlin-Jones, Chair of the IWGB Game Workers Union, also criticized the decision, pointing to the financial strength of Rockstar and its parent company, Take-Two Interactive. She noted that Grand Theft Auto VI is expected to generate as much as $10 billion in revenue during its first year, saying that the layoffs send a message that profit is being prioritized over employee welfare.
In response, Take-Two Interactive’s Head of Global Corporate Communications, Alan Lewis, told Bloomberg that the employees were dismissed for “gross misconduct.” He stated that Take-Two fully supports Rockstar’s decision and approach to the matter.
Unionization has become increasingly common across the gaming industry over the past few years. Studios such as Raven Software, Blizzard Albany, Blizzard Irvine, and ZeniMax have established unions to advocate for improved working conditions, pay transparency, and job security. More recently, ZA/UM, the studio behind Disco Elysium, also unionized under the representation of the IWGB.
The controversy surrounding Rockstar’s layoffs comes as the studio prepares for the release of Grand Theft Auto VI, scheduled for May 26, 2026, on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Originally planned for a Fall 2025 release, the game’s launch was delayed to ensure additional development time. Rockstar’s history with major titles suggests that further adjustments to the release schedule remain possible, as seen with Red Dead Redemption 2, which was postponed multiple times before launching in October 2018.
While the studio continues work on its next major release, the recent dismissals have renewed debate over labor practices in the gaming sector. The outcome of the IWGB’s legal challenge may set a significant precedent for worker rights within one of the industry’s most successful companies.
