People Make Games has obtained access to the private Discord server at the center of Rockstar Games' controversial mass firing last month, revealing the actual conversations that led to 34 employees losing their jobs. The investigation by host Chris Bratt includes screenshots from the union organizing server and testimony from a current Rockstar employee who wasn't part of the union or among those dismissed. What emerges is a picture of workplace frustration over policy changes, not leaked game secrets, as some fans speculated.
The trouble started last month when Rockstar removed multiple internal Slack channels where employees discussed hobbies, pets, music, and other non-work topics. Management justified the move by claiming these channels had become a distraction to Grand Theft Auto 6's development, though they provided no evidence to support this assertion. The company followed up by banning emojis from Slack status messages, reportedly because some staff were using a seedling symbol that had become associated with the union.
Rockstar's Discord server was created back in 2022 as a space for Rockstar employees to organize and discuss workplace conditions. It operated with clear guidelines about what could be shared, and new members joined through invites from select organizers. At its peak, over 300 verified Rockstar employees and union representatives were active on the server.
When the Slack purge happened, employees shared their reactions in the Discord. One worker who was later fired wrote, "I would really like to see the evidence for them being too much of a productivity hit. I can't imagine it being worth the absolute dumpster fire this will be for morale." Another dismissed employee was more blunt, calling the productivity justification nonsense that everyone recognized as such.
The key issue that triggered Rockstar's investigation wasn't game leaks or confidential development details, because Rockstar doesn't allow employees to access work email outside the office, someone shared the internal policy change emails in the Discord channel so union members could discuss them. At least one Discord member became concerned about this and reported it to management, setting off an investigation in the second week of October.
According to the source who spoke with People Make Games, most Discord conversations centered on workplace issues like bonuses and working conditions rather than anything related to GTA 6 itself. The server had explicit rules about what could be discussed, and the insider couldn't recall any confidential information being leaked.
By the end of October, Rockstar had fired all 34 employees for gross misconduct related to the Discord server. The company claimed confidential details were discussed in a public forum, though the affected workers point out that British Trade Union law protects their right to organize in an invite-only space.
Alex Marshall, president of the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain, argued that discussing pay and working conditions is completely normal staff behavior, adding that the firings reveal how Rockstar operates. "They're also trying to govern by fear. They feel completely threatened by the idea of workers talking to each other, and that's why they've taken this act, to try and destroy the union, and that's why we're taking them to court."
The union maintains that the employees' behavior was legally protected organizing activity, which is why they're pursuing legal action against Rockstar.
