Rockstar Games Employees Form Labor Union After 2025 Layoffs
The union's formation, announced after mass layoffs that workers call union-busting, gives organized labor a formal presence at one of the industry's biggest studios ahead of GTA 6's November 2026 release.
Reporting from 1 sources: GIGAZINE.
Employees of Rockstar Games, the developer of Grand Theft Auto VI, have formed the Rockstar Game Workers Union under the International Workers' Union. The union's formation follows a 2025 lawsuit over the layoffs of 31 employees, which workers allege was union-busting. Rockstar Games claims the employees were involved in a leak of confidential information.
The union, called the Rockstar Game Workers Union, operates as part of the International Workers' Union (IWGB). It was officially established in May 2026 after union membership accelerated following the 2025 layoffs and subsequent protests in Paris, London, Edinburgh, and New York. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer promised an investigation because British citizens were among those laid off.
The union said in a statement: 'This was not how we planned to make our official announcement. A blatant union-busting effort resulted in the firing of 31 union members, but these mass layoffs did not crush our union; it has made us bigger and stronger than ever.' The statement added that union membership again exceeded the 10% threshold shortly after the firings.
GTA 6 is scheduled for release on November 19, 2026, after a delay.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.
Sources
- GIGAZINE 「GTA 6」開発元の従業員が労働組合を結成