{"id":1961901,"date":"2026-05-29T11:57:29","date_gmt":"2026-05-29T08:57:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1961901"},"modified":"2026-05-29T11:57:29","modified_gmt":"2026-05-29T08:57:29","slug":"were-determined-to-win-justice-for-the-31-fired-workers-rockstar-games-workers-publicly-launch-union-as-legal-battle-with-the-gta-6-maker-rages-on","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1961901","title":{"rendered":"&#8220;We&#8217;re determined to win justice for the 31 fired workers&#8221; &#8211; Rockstar Games workers publicly launch union, as legal battle with the GTA 6 maker rages on"},"content":{"rendered":"<article class=\"article \" data-ads=\"true\" data-article-type=\"news\" data-article-group=\"news\" data-paywalled=\"false\" data-premium=\"false\" data-sponsored=\"false\" data-type=\"article\">\n<header class=\"article_header\" data-component=\"article-header\">\n<div class=\"breadcrumbs\">\n<nav class=\"nav_breadcrumbs\" data-component=\"nav-breadcrumbs\" aria-label=\"Breadcrumb\">\n<ul class=\"nav-links\">\n<li>\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/\" data-active=\"false\"><br \/>\n                      Home<br \/>\n                <\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li>\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/news\" data-active=\"false\"><br \/>\n                      News<br \/>\n                <\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li>\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/games\/grand-theft-auto-vi\" data-active=\"false\"><br \/>\n                      Grand Theft Auto VI<br \/>\n                <\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/nav><\/div>\n<div class=\"headline_details\" id=\"main-content\">\n<h1 class=\"title\">&#8220;We&#8217;re determined to win justice for the 31 fired workers&#8221; &#8211; Rockstar Games workers publicly launch union, as legal battle with the GTA 6 maker rages on<\/h1>\n<p class=\"strapline\">Studios &#8220;cannot get away with this disgusting treatment of the people&#8221;.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"headline_asset\">\n<figure class=\"headline_image_wrapper\">\n<p>        <img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"headline_image\" src=\"https:\/\/assetsio.gnwcdn.com\/Lucia-in-GTA-6-aiming-a-weapon.-She-has-her-hair-tied-back-and-is-wearing-sunglasses-and-a-mask-to-cover-her-face.jpg?width=570&amp;quality=85&amp;format=jpg&amp;dpr=3&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"Lucia in GTA 6 aiming a weapon. She has her hair tied back and is wearing sunglasses and a mask to cover her face\" loading=\"eager\" data-uri=\"Lucia-in-GTA-6-aiming-a-weapon.-She-has-her-hair-tied-back-and-is-wearing-sunglasses-and-a-mask-to-cover-her-face.jpg\" data-lightbox width=\"570\" height=\"321\"><figcaption>\n          <span class=\"attribution\">Image credit: <cite>Rockstar<\/cite><\/span><br \/>\n        <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"metadata\">\n<div class=\"avatar\">\n<p>    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Victoria Phillips Kennedy avatar\" src=\"https:\/\/assetsio.gnwcdn.com\/1644925423.jpg?width=2048&amp;height=2048&amp;fit=bounds&amp;quality=85&amp;format=jpg&amp;auto=webp\" style=\"aspect-ratio: 1\" width=\"180\" height=\"179\"><\/p>\n<p>  <img alt=\"Victoria Phillips Kennedy avatar\" data-autosize=\"crop_lossy\" data-uri=\"1644925423.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" style=\"aspect-ratio: 1\" width=\"180\" height=\"179\">\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"text\">\n<div class=\"byline\">\n                  <span class=\"article_type\" data-slug=\"news\"><br \/>\n                    News<br \/>\n                  <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"by\">by<\/span> <span class=\"author\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/authors\/victoria-kennedy\">Victoria Phillips Kennedy<\/a><\/span>                    <span class=\"job_title\"><br \/>\n                      News Reporter<br \/>\n                    <\/span>\n            <\/div>\n<div class=\"published_at\">\nPublished on <time datetime=\"2026-05-29T11:57:29+00:00\">May 29, 2026<\/time>              <\/div>\n<div class=\"comments\">\n      <a class=\"comments__link comments-bubble\" href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/were-determined-to-win-justice-for-the-31-fired-workers-rockstar-games-workers-publicly-launch-union-as-legal-battle-with-the-gta-6-maker-rages-on?view=comments\" rel=\"nofollow\"><br \/>\n          4 comments<br \/>\n      <\/a>\n    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"mypop-header-wrapper\">\n<p><button class=\"mypop-button button wide\" data-state=\"follow\" data-type=\"tag\" data-uuid=\"7685df9e-22e2-4b0e-a893-03c1781df5f1\" data-name=\"Grand Theft Auto VI\" data-follow-text=\"Follow Grand Theft Auto VI\" data-unfollow-text=\"Following Grand Theft Auto VI\" data-aria-follow-text=\"Follow Grand Theft Auto VI\" data-aria-unfollow-text=\"Following Grand Theft Auto VI\" data-popup=\"true\" data-force-login=\"true\" aria-label=\"Follow Grand Theft Auto VI\" title=\"Follow Grand Theft Auto VI\"><br \/>\n  Follow Grand Theft Auto VI<br \/>\n<\/button>          <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"article_body\" data-component=\"article-content\">\n<div class=\"article_body_content article-styling\">\n<p>Developers at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/companies\/rockstar-games\">Rockstar Games<\/a> have publicly announced a union known as the Rockstar Game Workers Union (RGWU), which is a subsidiary of the wider Independent Workers&#8217; Union of Great Britain (IWGB). It comes as the IWGB is preparing to take the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/gta-6-everything-we-know-so-far-9357\">Grand Theft Auto 6<\/a> maker to court over the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/gta-6-developer-rockstar-accused-of-union-busting-after-it-fires-dozens-of-developers\">firing of staff members in a move seen by many as &#8216;union busting&#8217;<\/a> in October last year, which sparked protests as well as legal action.<\/p>\n<figure>\n<div class=\"video_wrapper youtube\">\n<a aria-label=\"GTA 6 (Grand Theft Auto 6) - Official Trailer 2\" class=\"video-facade full-size\" data-platform=\"youtube\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/sQEGy86F2gE?autoplay=1\" title=\"Click to play video from YouTube\"><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Cover image for YouTube video\" class=\"video-facade__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/sQEGy86F2gE\/hqdefault.jpg\"><span class=\"video-facade__title\">GTA 6 (Grand Theft Auto 6) &#8211; Official Trailer 2<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/a>\n<\/div><figcaption>GTA 6 (Grand Theft Auto 6) &#8211; Official Trailer 2. <a class=\"video\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=sQEGy86F2gE\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Watch on YouTube<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In a <a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/rsgworkersunion.bsky.social\/post\/3mmvwdii2qk2s\">video shared across its social media platforms<\/a>, the RGWU said:  &#8220;We&#8217;re determined to win justice for the 31 fired workers, and to show studios like Rockstar that they cannot get away with this disgusting treatment of the people whose talent, skill, and creativity are what capture their audiences, and generate their billions.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Rockstar itself has claimed the workers affected by last year&#8217;s dismissals were fired for gross misconduct. It was soon after this that the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/unacceptable-and-unlawful-gta-6-developer-rockstar-hit-with-legal-claim-from-uk-trade-union-following-alleged-unfair-dismissal-of-staff\">IWGB issued a legal claim against Rockstar<\/a>, again noting that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/former-rockstar-games-staff-were-fired-for-sharing-internal-company-messages-on-an-employee-and-union-only-discord-server-new-report-suggests\">those affected were union members<\/a>. At the time, the IWGB called Rockstar&#8217;s decision &#8220;the most blatant and ruthless act of union busting in the history of the games industry&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"injection_placeholder\" data-position=\"1\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p>The following month, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/this-is-a-blatant-unapologetic-act-of-vicious-union-busting-hundreds-of-rockstar-employees-sign-letter-to-management-demanding-fired-colleagues-get-reinstated\">more than 200 employees from Rockstar North signed a letter to management<\/a> condemning its actions. In the time since, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/rockstars-controversial-dismissal-of-31-employees-is-such-a-big-deal-its-made-its-way-to-uk-parliament\">issue has been brought up in Parliament<\/a>, and in December, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/gta-developer-rockstars-firing-of-union-staff-deeply-concerning-says-uk-prime-minister-keir-starmer\">UK prime minister Keir Starmer called the controversial dismissals &#8220;deeply concerning&#8221;<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to legal action, the RGWU said it is fighting for &#8220;pay transparency, flexible working, and an end to crunch&#8221;, as more and more Rockstar workers from across the company including those in Edinburgh, London, Leeds, Lincoln, and Dundee are joining the cause.<\/p>\n<figure>\n<div class=\"video_wrapper youtube\">\n<a aria-label=\"The Video GTA Fans Have Been Waiting For: The Rockstar Game Workers Union Launch\" class=\"video-facade full-size\" data-platform=\"youtube\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/iLOq_6rOpoM?autoplay=1\" title=\"Click to play video from YouTube\"><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Cover image for YouTube video\" class=\"video-facade__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/iLOq_6rOpoM\/hqdefault.jpg\"><span class=\"video-facade__title\">The Video GTA Fans Have Been Waiting For: The Rockstar Game Workers Union Launch<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/a>\n<\/div><figcaption>The Video GTA Fans Have Been Waiting For: The Rockstar Game Workers Union Launch. <a class=\"video\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=iLOq_6rOpoM\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Watch on YouTube<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Amidst this ongoing legal battle, Rockstar is getting ready to release Grand Theft Auto 6, which is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/gta-6-rockstar-take-two-ps5-marketing-core-audience\">expected to launch on Xbox Series X\/S and PlayStation 5 this November<\/a>. Early last year, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/will-gta-6-cost-80-report-says-theres-industry-hope-rockstar-will-usher-in-another-game-price-rise\">a report suggested that GTA 6 could retail for $100<\/a>. In April, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/gta-6-rockstar-take-two-price-expectation-player-experience\">Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick discussed GTA 6&#8217;s price<\/a>, and while he didn&#8217;t give us that all important figure, he stressed that the company&#8217;s &#8220;job is to charge way, way, way less of the value delivery&#8221;.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"preferred-source\" data-component=\"preferred-source\">\nLove Eurogamer.net? Make us a <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\">Preferred Source on Google<\/a> and catch more of our coverage in your feeds.  <\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"article_body\" data-component=\"article-content\">\n<div class=\"article_body_content article-styling\">\n<p>Developers at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/companies\/rockstar-games\">Rockstar Games<\/a> have publicly announced a union known as the Rockstar Game Workers Union (RGWU), which is a subsidiary of the wider Independent Workers&#8217; Union of Great Britain (IWGB). It comes as the IWGB is preparing to take the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/gta-6-everything-we-know-so-far-9357\">Grand Theft Auto 6<\/a> maker to court over the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/gta-6-developer-rockstar-accused-of-union-busting-after-it-fires-dozens-of-developers\">firing of staff members in a move seen by many as &#8216;union busting&#8217;<\/a> in October last year, which sparked protests as well as legal action.<\/p>\n<figure>\n<div class=\"video_wrapper youtube\">\n<a aria-label=\"GTA 6 (Grand Theft Auto 6) - Official Trailer 2\" class=\"video-facade full-size\" data-platform=\"youtube\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/sQEGy86F2gE?autoplay=1\" title=\"Click to play video from YouTube\"><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Cover image for YouTube video\" class=\"video-facade__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/sQEGy86F2gE\/hqdefault.jpg\"><span class=\"video-facade__title\">GTA 6 (Grand Theft Auto 6) &#8211; Official Trailer 2<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/a>\n<\/div><figcaption>GTA 6 (Grand Theft Auto 6) &#8211; Official Trailer 2. <a class=\"video\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=sQEGy86F2gE\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Watch on YouTube<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In a <a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/rsgworkersunion.bsky.social\/post\/3mmvwdii2qk2s\">video shared across its social media platforms<\/a>, the RGWU said:  &#8220;We&#8217;re determined to win justice for the 31 fired workers, and to show studios like Rockstar that they cannot get away with this disgusting treatment of the people whose talent, skill, and creativity are what capture their audiences, and generate their billions.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Rockstar itself has claimed the workers affected by last year&#8217;s dismissals were fired for gross misconduct. It was soon after this that the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/unacceptable-and-unlawful-gta-6-developer-rockstar-hit-with-legal-claim-from-uk-trade-union-following-alleged-unfair-dismissal-of-staff\">IWGB issued a legal claim against Rockstar<\/a>, again noting that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/former-rockstar-games-staff-were-fired-for-sharing-internal-company-messages-on-an-employee-and-union-only-discord-server-new-report-suggests\">those affected were union members<\/a>. At the time, the IWGB called Rockstar&#8217;s decision &#8220;the most blatant and ruthless act of union busting in the history of the games industry&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"injection_placeholder\" data-position=\"1\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p>The following month, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/this-is-a-blatant-unapologetic-act-of-vicious-union-busting-hundreds-of-rockstar-employees-sign-letter-to-management-demanding-fired-colleagues-get-reinstated\">more than 200 employees from Rockstar North signed a letter to management<\/a> condemning its actions. In the time since, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/rockstars-controversial-dismissal-of-31-employees-is-such-a-big-deal-its-made-its-way-to-uk-parliament\">issue has been brought up in Parliament<\/a>, and in December, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/gta-developer-rockstars-firing-of-union-staff-deeply-concerning-says-uk-prime-minister-keir-starmer\">UK prime minister Keir Starmer called the controversial dismissals &#8220;deeply concerning&#8221;<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to legal action, the RGWU said it is fighting for &#8220;pay transparency, flexible working, and an end to crunch&#8221;, as more and more Rockstar workers from across the company including those in Edinburgh, London, Leeds, Lincoln, and Dundee are joining the cause.<\/p>\n<figure>\n<div class=\"video_wrapper youtube\">\n<a aria-label=\"The Video GTA Fans Have Been Waiting For: The Rockstar Game Workers Union Launch\" class=\"video-facade full-size\" data-platform=\"youtube\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/iLOq_6rOpoM?autoplay=1\" title=\"Click to play video from YouTube\"><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Cover image for YouTube video\" class=\"video-facade__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/iLOq_6rOpoM\/hqdefault.jpg\"><span class=\"video-facade__title\">The Video GTA Fans Have Been Waiting For: The Rockstar Game Workers Union Launch<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/a>\n<\/div><figcaption>The Video GTA Fans Have Been Waiting For: The Rockstar Game Workers Union Launch. <a class=\"video\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=iLOq_6rOpoM\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Watch on YouTube<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Amidst this ongoing legal battle, Rockstar is getting ready to release Grand Theft Auto 6, which is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/gta-6-rockstar-take-two-ps5-marketing-core-audience\">expected to launch on Xbox Series X\/S and PlayStation 5 this November<\/a>. Early last year, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/will-gta-6-cost-80-report-says-theres-industry-hope-rockstar-will-usher-in-another-game-price-rise\">a report suggested that GTA 6 could retail for $100<\/a>. In April, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/gta-6-rockstar-take-two-price-expectation-player-experience\">Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick discussed GTA 6&#8217;s price<\/a>, and while he didn&#8217;t give us that all important figure, he stressed that the company&#8217;s &#8220;job is to charge way, way, way less of the value delivery&#8221;.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Home News Grand Theft Auto VI &#8220;We&#8217;re determined to win justice for the 31 fired workers&#8221; &#8211; Rockstar Games workers publicly launch union, as legal battle with the GTA 6 maker rages on Studios &#8220;cannot get away with this disgusting treatment of the people&#8221;. Image credit: Rockstar News by Victoria Phillips Kennedy News Reporter Published [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,253],"class_list":["post-1961901","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-eurogamer-net"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1961901","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1961901"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1961901\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1961901"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1961901"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1961901"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}