Rockstar Games employees in the UK have formed the Rockstar Game Workers Union, six months ahead of schedule on November 19. Grand Theft Auto 6 release.
The union is an affiliate of the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain, the same group that has been involved in legal action against Rockstar over the dismissal of 31 employees in October 2025.
The announcement was made through a video designed as a play on community excitement for the upcoming Grand Theft Auto 6 trailer, titled “The Video GTA Fans Have Been Waiting For.”
Context: The October 2025 layoffs and how they led to a union push
In October 2025, Rockstar laid off 31 employees. Workers claimed the layoffs were retaliation for unionization efforts. Rockstar denied this, stating that the layoffs were due to employees sharing details about upcoming, unannounced features of the game in a public forum.
The IWGB has taken legal action on behalf of the dismissed employees and the case is ongoing. The UK government has also promised to investigate the matter.
The Rockstar Game Workers Union reports growth at Rockstar’s UK studios in Edinburgh, London, Leeds, Lincoln and Dundee.
The union has outlined three main priorities for collective action: increasing pay transparency, promoting flexible working arrangements and ending critical periods involving prolonged mandatory overtime.
Additionally, the union is raising funds to support its legal case, which aims to ensure justice for 31 workers who were fired. The IWGB emphasizes its goal of highlighting that studios cannot fire employees for organizing.
What’s at stake surrounding GTA 6 and what’s coming next for Rockstar’s UK merger
Take-Two Interactive, Rockstar’s parent company, expects its fiscal 2027 revenue to exceed $8 billion. This marks an increase of more than $1 billion compared to the previous year, driven largely by the launch of Grand Theft Auto 6 for consoles on November 19. Rockstar has not officially confirmed a PC version.
The unionization announcement comes at a time when the publisher faces significant financial interests, with GTA 6 anticipated to be one of the biggest entertainment releases in history.
Rockstar has not publicly responded to the union’s formation. Whether the company decides to recognize the union for collective bargaining will determine the next stage of its relationship with the UK workforce.
The court process related to the October 2025 layoffs is still ongoing. The outcome could affect union negotiations, future hiring policies at Rockstar, and how other major game studios handle similar organizing efforts.
The IWGB has not announced specific dates for class actions or formal bargaining requests at this time.
