Rockstar employees dismissed after alleged leaks have asked players not to boycott GTA 6, instead encouraging support for their legal fight as the game's November launch approaches and union recognition efforts continue
With Grand Theft Auto VI now officially scheduled for release in November 2026, a group of former Rockstar employees dismissed last year have publicly asked players not to boycott the game in protest of their situation. The request comes as legal proceedings between the affected staff and Rockstar Games move towards a final hearing in Glasgow next month, and as unionisation efforts at the studio gain momentum.
Dismissals and Legal Dispute
Rockstar Games terminated 34 employees in late 2025, citing the unauthorised disclosure of confidential information about upcoming and unannounced titles via Discord. Of those dismissed, 31 were based in the UK and three in Canada. Rockstar maintains that the dismissals were a direct response to significant leaks, which reportedly included details on GTA 6 features, development progress, launch timelines, and internal IT security protocols. The company argues that if these details had reached the public, they could have had a material impact on parent company Take-Two's share price. When Rockstar later confirmed a six-month delay for GTA 6, Take-Two's market value dropped by $3.75 billion in a single day.
Rockstar has emphasised its zero-tolerance policy towards leaks, referencing previous dismissals in Lincoln, the US, and India for similar breaches. The affected workers, however, have challenged the grounds for their dismissal and are pursuing legal action, supported by the Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain (IWGB). The union is raising funds for the legal case through the sale of themed T-shirts, with the workers themselves appearing in a video to explain their position and urge players to support their campaign rather than boycott the game.
Union Recognition and Workplace Change
In June, Rockstar developers formally applied for voluntary recognition of the IWGB Game Workers Union, aiming to make Rockstar North only the second UK games studio with a recognised union structure. If successful, this would provide members with additional protections and a formal framework for collective bargaining on issues such as pay transparency, flexible working, and overtime practices. The IWGB claims to represent a significant portion of Rockstar's UK workforce, with members across offices in Edinburgh, Dundee, Lincoln, Leeds, and London. The union credits its presence with contributing to notable pay rises and new financial incentives for overtime work.
Rockstar Games has acknowledged receipt of the union's request and stated its intention to engage in dialogue, while also highlighting its commitment to providing a supportive work environment and competitive compensation. However, the company is not obliged to grant voluntary recognition, and if it declines, the union may seek statutory recognition through the Central Arbitration Committee. The IWGB has indicated that any decision to escalate action, including the possibility of industrial action, would be determined by its members.
Player Support and Market Impact
The dismissed workers have made it clear that they do not wish for players to boycott GTA 6, despite some calls for protest. Instead, they are encouraging supporters to contribute to their legal fund, arguing that this approach better supports their fight for workplace rights without undermining the years of development invested in the game. The IWGB's campaign is designed to keep the issue visible as the legal process continues and as the game's release draws nearer.
Despite the controversy, GTA 6 is expected to be a major commercial success. Take-Two has described pre-orders as "unprecedented", and the scale of the franchise's following suggests that any informal boycott would have limited impact on overall sales. This mirrors the situation seen in other industry disputes, such as when Sony addressed concerns about disc discontinuation and digital access, as discussed in our previous coverage of Sony's response to disc production changes.
What Remains Uncertain
As the legal case moves towards its final hearing in September, the outcome for the dismissed workers and the future of union recognition at Rockstar remain unresolved. The company's response to unionisation efforts will be closely watched, both by employees and by other studios considering similar moves. For players, the main consequence is that GTA 6's release is still on track for November 2026, with no indication that the dispute will affect the game's availability or content. However, the broader implications for workplace rights and unionisation in the UK games industry could be significant, depending on the result of the ongoing proceedings.
Union recognition in the UK games industry is a formal process that grants employees the right to collective bargaining through an officially acknowledged union. This can affect pay, working conditions, and dispute resolution. While unionisation is common in other sectors, it remains rare in UK game development, with only a handful of studios having achieved formal recognition. The process can be voluntary, with the employer's agreement, or statutory, requiring a legal application and a majority vote. The outcome of the Rockstar case may influence how other studios approach unionisation and employee representation in the future.
