Rockstar Games is under fire after firing 30 to 40 employees across its UK and Canada offices months ahead of GTA 6 release, sparking outrage among people.
While the company cited “gross misconduct,” the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) accused the company and its parent platform Take-Two Interactive of union busting, claiming the fired employees were members of a private union group on Discord and were attempting to organised within the company.
The IWGB called the firings “one of the most shameless instances of union-busting,” and started protests outside Take-Two’s London office, with another planned at Rockstar’s Edinburgh branch.
While demanding justice for the affected staff, frustrated protesters chanted “What’s disgusting? Union busting,” demanding reinstatement for affected staff.
However, Take-Two denied the claims, saying the employees were dismissed for “distributing and discussing confidential information in a public forum,” insisting the move had “nothing to do with union activities.”
The platform remains particularly cautious regarding leaks after previous incidents, including the 2022 theft of GTA 6 prototype footage and the early leak of its reveal trailer in 2023.
Furthermore, Rockstar Games has received massive backlash for ending its work-from-home policy last year, citing “productivity and security reasons” that the IWGB condemned as “reckless” and a breach of previous promises on flexible work.
