GTA 6 developers announce the Rockstar Game Workers Union

Developers working on Grand Theft Auto VI have formally announced a union, the Rockstar Game Workers Union, setting up a courtroom fight with Rockstar Games. The announcement was made on Thursday by the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) together with Rockstar staff members, and was presented in a video that explains the group’s motives and what it expects to happen next.

A union formed after more than 30 dismissals

The new body is the same organisation already in a legal dispute with Rockstar. More than 30 employees were dismissed last year for what the company described as gross misconduct; the IWGB disputes that account and calls the dismissals an act of union busting. The union says it is now fully set up and intends to fight the company in court. A date for the trial has been set, although the union has not published it yet.

Support spreads beyond Edinburgh

According to the union, Rockstar’s treatment of those employees pushed others to organise. Most of the affected workers were based at Rockstar North in Edinburgh, but the union claims that a sizeable number of employees at the company’s London, Leeds, Lincoln and Dundee offices have joined forces with their colleagues in Scotland.

Pay transparency, flexible working and an end to crunch

The group has set out its opening platform: pay transparency, flexible working and an end to crunch — the industry term for extended periods of overtime before a release. The union has opened accounts on Bluesky, Instagram and Twitter to publish updates, and has created a page for donations towards its legal costs.

Political pressure

The announcement follows accusations from politicians that Rockstar has been blocking legal proceedings that are already under way. The union has not yet published a date for the trial and says it will keep supporters informed through its social media accounts.