The Grand Theft Auto 6 labor dispute has reached Parliament and the Prime Minister's desk. Three Edinburgh MPs are publicly demanding Rockstar Games engage with the legal process.
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.
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GTA 6 Mass Firing Timeline
| Date | Event | What Happened |
|---|---|---|
Mid-2025 | Rockstar North employees organize via private Discord | Staff use a Discord channel to discuss unionization with the IWGB Game Workers' branch |
October 2025 | Rockstar fires 34 employees (31 UK, 3 Canada) | Company cites "gross misconduct" for sharing confidential information on the Discord |
October 31, 2025 | Bloomberg breaks the story | IWGB immediately calls the firings "plain and simple union busting" |
November 2025 | IWGB files legal claims for unfair dismissal and trade union victimization | Union alleges Rockstar's contractual clauses "do not supersede UK law" |
November 2025 | Second GTA 6 delay announced (May 2026 to November 19, 2026) | Delay announced days after the firings became public |
December 2025 | PM Keir Starmer calls firings "deeply concerning" | Ministerial investigation initiated after Chris Murray raises case in Parliament |
Early 2026 | Judge Frances Eccles denies interim relief pay | Ruling noted that 3 Canadian workers were not IWGB members, complicating the pure union-busting argument |
January-April 2026 | IWGB requests evidence, in-person meetings, and appeal processes | Rockstar allegedly provides incomplete evidence and refuses in-person engagement |
May 12, 2026 | Three Edinburgh MPs publicly accuse Rockstar of obstruction | Murray, Gilbert, and Dr. Scott Arthur issue statements demanding transparency |
Pending | Full employment tribunal hearing | Date not yet scheduled; IWGB will present full union-busting case |
Rockstar' reasoning for the firing 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. I
WGB 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, as the employer, was the visa sponsor. When the employment ended, the visa ended. A person who was living and working in Scotland, potentially for years, had no choice but to uproot his life and leave the country because their employer fired him, and the immigration system does not distinguish between a voluntary resignation and an alleged unfair dismissal.
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 will all 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.