Three UK MPs Just Called Out Rockstar Over the GTA 6 Mass Firings

In the latest chapter of the lengthy and on-going drama, three Edinburgh Members of Parliament have publicly accused Rockstar Games of refusing to properly engage with appeal processes and trade unions following the October 2025 mass firing of 34 employees. The accusation, published through an IWGB Game Workers' Union press release on May 12, 2026, as reported by Eurogamer, escalates a labor dispute that has lasted for the better part of the past year, becoming a direct confrontation between elected officials and one of the UK's most prominent game studios.

Scottish Labour MP Chris Murray, who first raised the case with Prime Minister Keir Starmer in December 2025, did not hold back: "Rockstar must answer this case with transparency and full cooperation and uphold the right to appeal." MP Tracy Gilbert added: "It is extremely disappointing that Rockstar has refused to properly engage with staff, representatives, and trade unions throughout this process. Workers asking for fairness, transparency, and respect should not be met with silence and closed doors."

IWGB president Alex Marshall called Rockstar's behavior over the past six months "corporate legal stonewalling." Rockstar has not responded to these latest statements, as expected.

Rockstar' reasoning for the dismissals is that the 34 employees were fired for gross misconduct, specifically for sharing confidential company information in a Discord channel that included non-employees. The company argues this is a straightforward disciplinary action unrelated to union activity. On the other hand, the IWGB argues that the Discord channel was a protected trade union space used for organizing discussions, and that Rockstar used the pretext of confidentiality breaches to fire workers who were actively building a union presence inside the studio

The union alleges that Rockstar's justification has "shifted constantly," presented incomplete evidence, and that the company has refused to meet in person or engage meaningfully with appeal processes. IWGB president Alex Marshall described this as Rockstar acting "as if they have impunity, showing no respect for UK employment law."

As part of the ongoing legal kerfuffle, MP Chris Murray specifically mentioned a constituent who was "forced to leave the country due to the removal of their visa sponsor." Rockstar had sponsored the worker's visa. For that constituent, losing sponsorship meant having to leave the UK as well as losing their job, according to Murray's statement.

This is easily one of the details that led to the UK government to refer to the entire situation as "deeply concerning."

The timing is awful for Rockstar. It could haunt Grand Theft Auto 6 one way or another. The firings happened in late 2025, around the same time the industry-changing delay became official. The MPs are making their strongest public statements later this month, one week before the next Take-Two Interactive earnings call and months before the game ships.

Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick has been telling the world that Rockstar receives "unlimited resources" and aims to "deliver perfection." The IWGB is telling the world that 31 of Rockstar's UK workers were fired without warning, denied proper appeals, and one was forced out of the country. The full tribunal will determine whether Rockstar fired 31 workers for legitimate misconduct or for organizing a union.

Until that ruling comes, the accusations are allegations, and the defense is a claim. However, what we can't deny is that 31 people lost their jobs, at least one lost their right to live in the country, and the company has not publicly answered the questions that three elected officials are demanding it answer. Rockstar's response, as always, is silence.

Is it stonewalling or strategy? The answer to this depends on which side of the tribunal you are sitting on.