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Rockstar Fires Dozens After Union Activity Allegations, Sparking Accusations of Union-Busting
November 3, 2025Rockstar Games just axed between 30 and 40 employees, and nearly all of them were reportedly involved in union organising. The terminations are fanning fierce accusations of union-busting at the studio behind Grand Theft Auto 6.
Management at Rockstar claims these staffers were let go for “gross misconduct.” The affected developers didn’t all work in the same field or office. According to a Bloomberg report, the firings reached across multiple disciplines and locations in Canada and the UK. What ties them together? Alleged participation in a private Discord union chat group, whether as active members or as developers planning to organize.
Union Leaders Lash Out, Company Stays Silent
The backlash from labor advocates was swift and scathing. Alex Marshall, president of the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB), called these firings “one of the most blatant and ruthless acts of union busting in the history of the games industry.” He didn’t hold back, adding, “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.”
Despite requests for comment, Rockstar has yet to publicly address the union-busting accusations or explain its reasoning beyond the official line of “gross misconduct.” The only voice from management has been Take-Two spokesperson Alan Lewis, who told Bloomberg, “The developers were fired for gross misconduct, and for no other reason.” Lewis backed the studio fully, saying, “[Take-Two] fully support[s] Rockstar’s ambitions and approach.”
Workplace Tension Mounts as Rockstar Faces New Scrutiny
There’s no word from Rockstar on exactly what this “gross misconduct” entailed. For many inside and outside the industry, the timing seems anything but coincidental. The ousted employees were linked to union discussions at a moment when the gaming world is watching labor rights more closely than ever before.
With union drives making headway across several tech and gaming giants, this move from Rockstar is coming under more heat than it might have even a year ago. Critics say the firings send a clear message to anyone thinking about bringing organized labor into the company: Not on our watch.
All of this is unfolding while Rockstar is busy developing its most anticipated title to date, Grand Theft Auto 6. The situation threatens to overshadow the game’s development and renew debates about workplace culture, fair treatment, and labor rights in one of the industry’s biggest companies.
Meanwhile, tension between workers, leadership, and the public is only growing. The fired developers spanned multiple specialties, hinting at a broad-based push for change inside Rockstar, one that hit a brutal roadblock with management’s latest response.
Take-Two’s CEO Talks AI, But Avoids Labor Questions
Earlier this same week, Take-Two Interactive chief Strauss Zelnick was back in the headlines, but for a different reason. Speaking about artificial intelligence, he claimed that AI would never be able to match the kind of creativity behind “GTA 6.” In Zelnick’s words: “No creativity… can exist by definition in any AI model.” While the industry keeps one eye on technology’s future, the uproar over Rockstar’s mass firings is forcing a harsher spotlight on how companies treat the people who make billion-dollar games possible.
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