The controversy surrounding Rockstar Games, the development team behind the highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto VI, has taken a dramatic turn. Accusations of union-busting have been leveled by 34 workers who were recently dismissed, along with the Independent Workers of Great Britain (IWGB). This matter has stirred significant attention, reaching UK Parliament where Prime Minister Keir Starmer has addressed the issue. In response, Rockstar has issued a statement denying these allegations, insisting that the firings were due to breaches of confidentiality rather than union involvement.
Rockstar’s Stand on Confidentiality Breach
Rockstar Games has publicly reiterated its stance that the employees in question were terminated for sharing sensitive information. This included discussions about specific features of upcoming and yet-to-be-announced titles in public forums, which Rockstar claims violated company policies. The statement emphasized, “Rockstar Games took action against a small group of individuals, across the UK and internationally, who distributed and discussed confidential information… Claims that these dismissals were linked to union membership or activities are entirely false and misleading.”
The Union’s Counterclaims and Legal Actions
Following Rockstar’s justification for the dismissals, the IWGB and other union affiliates have contested these claims. Reports suggest Rockstar might have leveraged discussions on Slack policy changes within a union-exclusive Discord server to justify the terminations. In addition, the IWGB has lodged legal claims against Rockstar, while Prime Minister Starmer has announced a governmental investigation into these allegations as of December 10, 2025.
Political and Public Reactions
The situation has been further complicated by statements from Chris Murray, an MP who raised concerns directly with Prime Minister Starmer. After discussions with Rockstar, Murray expressed dissatisfaction with their compliance assurances regarding employment law and voiced worries about union-busting practices. As the UK government prepares to look into the matter, the gaming community and industry observers watch closely for further developments.
The core of this dispute centers on whether Rockstar’s actions were genuinely based on confidentiality breaches or if they were, as accused, an attempt to stifle union activities.
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