Rockstar Games finds itself at the center of a controversy that could set an important precedent in the gaming industry: the studio behind the Grand Theft Auto saga fired over 30 employees recently, sparking immediate accusations of anti-union practices. The story raises crucial questions about the relationship between gaming majors and workers’ rights, at a time when the industry is facing growing tensions over working conditions and the crunch.
According to reports from the Independent Workers of Great Britain union, the employees involved participated in a private Discord server dedicated to the union organisation. Rockstar Games, however, rejected the accusations of union busting, claiming that the dismissals were motivated by the violation of company policies: the employees would have shared confidential information in a public forum.
The studio’s defense distances itself from the idea that these are sensational revelations or leaks about Grand Theft Auto VI, the most anticipated title in the gaming industry. In fact, there is no mention of a case similar to the massive leak of 2022, when an external hacker penetrated Rockstar’s systems by publishing dozens of game development videos. This time, according to the company, the issue concerns the sharing of internal information in a context deemed inappropriate.

The British union firmly disputes this reconstruction, defining the Discord server as a private group dedicated exclusively to dialogue with union organizers. The distinction between \