Rockstar Games UK Workers Pursue Formal Union Recognition Amid Legal Battle

Employees at Rockstar Games UK studios are pushing for formal union recognition with management through the IWGB Game Workers Union, while a separate legal challenge over the dismissal of 29 union members continues.

Union Recognition Push

Workers are seeking voluntary recognition from Rockstar management to enable collective bargaining. If successful, Rockstar would become the second video game studio in the UK with a formally recognized union, following ZA/UM in October 2025.

"We hope Rockstar voluntarily recognises the union; we are inviting Rockstar to meet us."
— Jordan Garland, dismissed employee of 11 years

Dismissals and Legal Proceedings

The Dismissals

Rockstar Games dismissed 29 employees from its Edinburgh, Dundee, and Lincoln offices on October 30 and 31, 2024. All dismissed employees were members of the IWGB union. The company also terminated three Canadian employees who were not union members.

Rockstar stated the dismissals were for gross misconduct involving sharing confidential information—including details of upcoming game features—on a public server within the Discord chat application. The union alleges the dismissals were unlawful and related to trade union activity.

Employment Tribunal Ruling

A judge at a Glasgow tribunal denied interim pay relief for the dismissed employees, who had sought continued wages until their case concluded. Judge Frances Eccles ruled that the court could not determine that union membership was the "principal reason" for the dismissals, and therefore could not grant interim relief.

Key findings from the tribunal:

• Some dismissed employees had posted few messages on the Discord server, with some last posting over a year before their dismissal
• No evidence was presented that Rockstar suffered adverse consequences from the postings
• Employees were dismissed rapidly, without suspensions, disciplinary hearings, or prior opportunity to respond to allegations
• The specific comments deemed gross misconduct were not disclosed to staff until approximately six weeks after termination

Company and Union Statements

Rockstar's lawyers stated the company denied knowledge of employees' paid union membership. They cited "issues of urgency and ongoing confidentiality concerns" as reasons for the speed of the dismissals. A Rockstar spokesperson welcomed the judge's decision, stating it supported their course of action.

IWGB president Alex Marshall noted that securing interim relief has a high threshold, and expressed confidence that a full tribunal would find Rockstar's actions unlawful. A final hearing is scheduled for September.

Potential Next Steps

The union has stated that if voluntary recognition is not achieved, it may organize further actions including a strike.

Background Context

Rockstar Games is the developer of the Grand Theft Auto series, with the next installment, Grand Theft Auto VI, scheduled for release in November. Pre-orders for the game reportedly generated $3 billion in their first week. The video game industry has experienced frequent layoffs in recent years.