Category: Campaigns

Rockstar Games workers launch bid for IWGB Union recognition in landmark UK games industry move

Blog, Campaigns, Rockstar

Workers at Rockstar Games have submitted a request for voluntary recognition of the IWGB Game Workers Union, in a move that could make the studio the second UK games studio with a recognised union.

If successful, the recognition would follow IWGB members at ZA/UM, who became the first UK games workers to achieve recognition in October 2025. Should Rockstar accept the request, workers would secure formal channels for collective bargaining with management, while union representatives and members would gain additional workplace protections and rights.

The recognition request comes amid an ongoing legal dispute between Rockstar management and the IWGB over allegations relating to the dismissal of 31 union members in October 2025. The IWGB is challenging the dismissals through an employment tribunal, with a final hearing scheduled to begin in September 2026, where it will be decided whether workers were unlawfully fired for trade union activity.

IWGB members have been actively organising at Rockstar since 2019 and claim they now represent a significant proportion of the workforce across each of the studio’s sites in Edinburgh, Dundee, Lincoln, Leeds and London. The union says that since then, workers have already seen progress, including unprecedented average pay rises and financial incentives for crunch for the first time ever.

They say their priorities for recognition are improving pay transparency, strengthening flexible working arrangements, and addressing excessive overtime and workload pressures in the industry.

The application comes as Grand Theft Auto VI, Rockstar’s upcoming release, reportedly generated $3 billion in pre-orders after opening last week.

Josh Walter, a senior QA tester at Rockstar’s Lincoln site, said: “Rockstar leads the industry in the games we create. We believe it can also lead the industry in how it treats the people who make them.

There is so much that is special about the studio and the work we put out. We want to protect that. When people are confronted with pay disparities, excessive overtime or a lack of flexibility in arrangements, they are not in the best position to do their best work.

We want to sit down with management and build a future where both the games and the conditions of the people who make them are as strong as possible.”

Shanti Easton-Steel, Production Co-ordinator at Rockstar North, said: “This is a landmark moment for the Rockstar Game Workers Union, and hopefully for the industry as a whole.

It’s thanks to the hard work of so many of our members – both those currently with us and those who were fired last October – that we are now in a strong enough position to pursue formal recognition. Whilst it’s painful that our dismissed colleagues are not here to share this milestone moment, the best way we can honour their contribution now is by succeeding in the fight they helped us to start, and making them proud to have been a part of it.

This recognition bid only comes after years of effort by our members and could not have happened without the support of many of our non-member colleagues too. We hope lots more people will now feel comfortable to join the union, but even for those that don’t, we ask that they remain supportive of the cause as we move forward with momentum towards our key objectives of pay transparency, fairer crunch practices and better flexible working arrangements.”

Alex Marshall, President of the IWGB Union, said: “Many people assumed that Rockstar dismissing 31 union members last year would weaken organising at the company – but in fact the union is now stronger than ever.

Over the last 4 years, workers have built a significant presence across Rockstar’s sites, and now represent a large proportion of the workforce. Applying for union recognition is the next step in strengthening their presence in the workplace. Rockstar has maintained that it respects workers’ trade union rights. This is now an opportunity for it to demonstrate that in practice.

GTA VI has reportedly already generated more than $3 billion in preorder sales. Rockstar bosses can easily afford to sit around the table with the people whose hard work created these games, and give them a meaningful voice in their workplace.”

Rockstar suffers legal setback as judge rules against studio in union-busting dispute

Blog, Campaigns, Rockstar
  • An employment tribunal has ruled against Rockstar Games in the latest stage of a legal dispute over alleged union-busting at the studio, after 31 union members were summarily dismissed in October last year
  • The latest tribunal decision upheld the right of the IWGB Union – the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain – to continue bringing blacklisting claims against the company at the final trial which will run from 10 September to 15 October this year
  • The ruling is the latest set back facing Rockstar Games as it prepares for the planned release date of Grand Theft Auto VI on 19 November, anticipated to be the biggest game launch of all time

Wednesday 17 June 2026: An employment tribunal has ruled against Rockstar Games in the latest stage of a legal dispute over alleged union-busting at the studio. The ruling allows the IWGB Union to continue bringing blacklisting claims against the company at the final trial set to take place over September and October this year.

Following the sudden dismissals of 31 of its members in October last year, the IWGB Union has been preparing to take Rockstar to court over allegations including blacklisting – the practice of compiling information about workers involved in union activity in order to discriminate against them.

At the latest preliminary hearing, Rockstar sought to strike blacklisting claims from the case being brought against it, but the ruling, published yesterday, rejects this attempt to narrow the scope of the case, and confirms that every one of the union’s allegations relating to union-busting can proceed to trial.

The dates for the final hearing have now been shared, with the trial set to begin on the 10th of September and run to the 15th of October this year. The court case will conclude just over a month before the planned release of Grand Theft Auto VI on the 19th of November, expected to be one of the biggest video game launches in history.

Ellie Dunstan, one of the workers fired by Rockstar in October last year, said: “This ruling is a huge moment for us. Rockstar thought they could control the narrative. They’re wrong, and we look forward to proving it. Our case will now be heard in full and put to the test as it should be. The world will get to see for itself the evidence as to what happened last October.

We loved our work at Rockstar. Losing our passion, our colleagues and our incomes in the blink of an eye was devastating, and the company management has treated us with disdain ever since, refusing to grant us appeals or respond to basic evidence requests. After months of fighting to have our voices heard, this is a moment to celebrate. The judgment shows that even against a company with Rockstar’s resources, workers can stand together and demand accountability

This fight has always been about more than just our own situation – it is about making sure workers across the games industry and beyond have the right to stand together, speak out, and organise for a fairer sector.”

Spring McParlin-Jones, Chair of the IWGB Game Workers Branch, said:

“This ruling is a major blow to Rockstar’s attempts to avoid scrutiny for its actions, and a major step forward in our fight for justice for our members. The tribunal has refused to let Rockstar off the hook, finding that serious factual questions remain about how these workers were identified, listed and dismissed – questions that must now be tested at a full hearing.

From the moment employees were escorted from their buildings without warning, and throughout every subsequent stage of the legal proceedings, Rockstar has attempted to avoid accountability – denying workers a fair hearing, failing to engage with basic evidence requests, and now attempting to limit scrutiny of the allegations brought against them. Gamers all over the world have seen through these tactics, and now a tribunal has also cast doubt on Rockstar’s version of events.

The decision strengthens our case at a critical time as we prepare for the final stage of this David versus Goliath legal battle, which could shape the future of union rights across the games industry and beyond. We’re asking gamers, workers and supporters the world over to make history with us by contributing towards our legal costs. In order to take on this multinational, multibillion pound corporation, we need as many people as possible – people who care about workers’ rights, people who care about the future of games – to unite behind us.”

Donate to the Rockstar workers’ fighting fund: https://actionnetwork.org/fundraising/support-rockstar-workers-fighting-unfair-dismissals

Over 200 Rockstar staff write to management in support of unfairly fired union members

Blog, Campaigns, Rockstar, Statement
  • 220 letters signed by staff members at Rockstar, the studio behind the Grand Theft Auto series, were delivered to management at the company last week, demanding that the 31 employees fired are immediately reinstated
  • The employees, all of whom were members of the IWGB Union, believe they were fired illegally for unionising, which the IWGB has described as “the most ruthless act of union busting in the history of the games industry”
  • Fired Rockstar employees, supporters, and current staff gathered outside the company’s offices on 108 Holyrood Road every day last week, culminating in protests there and outside Take Two Interactive’s London offices on Thursday 6 November
  • Further protests are planned to take place in London and Paris this Friday 14 November, and in Edinburgh on Tuesday 18 November

 

THURSDAY 13 NOVEMBER: Staff working at Rockstar North, the developers of the Grand Theft Auto game series, have delivered a letter to senior management signed by over 200 members of staff, condemning the firing of 31 employees last week that is believed to be an act of union busting. In the letter, staff demand the immediate reinstatement of their colleagues, all of whom in the UK were members of the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) Union.

 

Last week, supporters protested in London outside Take-Two House, Rockstar’s holding company, in solidarity with the fired employees. A protest was also held outside the company’s offices on Holyrood Road, Edinburgh, where the ex-employees and current staff joined to demand reinstatement, as the culmination of a week of gatherings outside the company’s offices.

Rockstar have claimed in a public statement that the 31 members of staff were fired for leaking information in public channels, something that the IWGB has refuted, saying that workers only communicated in private and legally-protected trade union channels. The IWGB has now issued formal legal claims against Rockstar, asserting that it will pursue all avenues to ensure that members are reinstated and granted interim relief.

Further protests are planned for this Friday 7 November, starting with an 8am rally outside Take Two’s London office, followed by a protest at 4pm (CET) outside the company’s Paris headquarters, where members of STJV (Le Syndicat des Travailleureuses du Jeu Vidéo) will show their support for the fired workers. There will be another protest on Tuesday 18 November at 6pm outside Holyrood to coincide with a cross-party parliamentary group meeting on Scotland’s games industry.

Peter*, one of the staff fired at Rockstar last week says: “It’s heartwarming to see so many of our colleagues supporting us and holding management to account – during a period where Rockstar want us to feel scared, my brave former colleagues are marching straight up to our boss’s door and demanding our voices are heard and not backing down. It’s clear to everyone close to this situation that this is a blatant, unapologetic act of vicious union busting. Rockstar employs so many talented game developers, all of whom are crucial to making the games we put out.”

Fred Carter, an IWGB organiser says: “By deciding to fire more than 30 union members, Rockstar have carried out an Amazon-style act of union-busting unprecedented in the games industry. This is a company that benefits from more than £440 million in UK tax relief, while displaying a callous and blatant disregard for both the livelihood of workers and the letter of the law.”

*Name has been changed to protect anonymity.

For more information, please contact:

Jake Thomas: jakethomas@iwgb.co.uk

Ellie Butcher: elliebutcher@iwgb.co.uk

 

An IWGB Game Workers sticker appears in front of the Build a Rocket Boy office. A neon sign depicting the name of the studio appears in the background.

Open Letter to the Executive Leadership at Build A Rocket Boy

Blog, Campaigns

Employees and ex-employees at Build A Rocket Boy (BARB), together with the Game Workers Branch of the Independent Workers of Great Britain (IWGB), are writing to address the longstanding disrespect and mistreatment of your staff. For years, you have expected them to adapt to your every whim, with those in disagreement being shut down or cast aside. We estimate a UK-majority of 250-300 workers across the company have now lost their livelihoods. These layoffs happened because you repeatedly refused to listen to your workforce’s years of experience, resulting in one of the worst video game launches this decade.

Here are just a few of the many issues we have faced under your management:

Lack of transparency and communication. You have consistently failed to effectively communicate with the workers whose expertise the company relies on. Information has been sparse and vague, with you often making radical changes to the way we worked with little or no input from those affected.

Unbearable levels of overtime. In the 4 months leading up to the launch of MindsEye, you implemented a mandatory 8 hours of overtime per week for every single employee. Time Off In Lieu (TOIL) was given at a rate of 7 hours back for every 8 hours worked, but many have still not been able to take this time off due to your continued requests for extra “high-priority” work, even after launch.

Disastrous handling of redundancies. We believe you have consistently mishandled the redundancy process, causing confusion and distress for all staff. Employees have received misinformation, been handed dismissal notices with the wrong notice periods, and been put in the wrong teams so that their performances were scored by the wrong people. These and other errors have potentially resulted in the wrongful dismissal of dozens of staff members.

These and many other issues, some of which have been made public already, have caused pain and stress for your employees. Our experience at the company has been one of burnout, job insecurity, health issues, and the failure of a game that many of us have put years of our lives into. BARB needs to change. CEOs need to take a backseat and allow the skilled people who remain at the company to forge the path ahead. We demand the following:

  1. A public apology for this mistreatment of employees and proper compensation for laid-off employees;
  1. The option for remaining employees on redundancy notice to either work their notice period or take Payment in Lieu of Notice (PILON);
  1. A concerted, meaningful, and documented effort to improve conditions and processes within the company, including the acknowledgement of the IWGB as a trade union;
  1. A commitment to use official external partners to action any future redundancies and prevent unfair treatment.

Mark Gerhard and Leslie Benzies, you often refer to your employees as “family”. But we ask you to consider; is this really how you treat your own?

In solidarity,

93 BARB Employees and Ex-Employees ︱ IWGB Game Workers

Workers at ZA/UM Announce Landmark Recognition Agreement

Blog, Campaigns, Statement

Video game developers at ZA/UM Studio, represented by the IWGB (Independent Workers Union of Great Britain) have today announced their formation of a union at their workplace. After a negotiation process, management has agreed to enter a working relationship with the union.

This marks the first recognised workplace union in the UK games industry, providing an exciting milestone for workers industry-wide. The recognition process provides workers and management with a strong framework to engage and negotiate on workplace-related matters. A committee of elected workplace representatives will regularly meet to discuss matters brought forward by the game developers at ZA/UM and management, with the support of union officials.

The news follows widespread layoffs in the games industry, which affected over 900 UK game workers in 2023 and almost 15,000 worldwide workers in 2024. The layoffs shone a light on the precarity facing so many in the industry and made job security one of the union’s central focuses.

Spring McParlin-Jones, Chair of the Game Workers Union, said: “Anyone working in the sector can see that the game has been rigged against us for far too long. Now developers at ZA/UM are proving that by coming together as a union we can take back power and shape our workplaces for the better. We need to build an industry where workers can create exciting, meaningful games without sacrificing their social lives, their mental health, or their financial stability. I hope ZA/UM workers’ achievement inspires others working in the games industry to join us in fighting for a fairer, more sustainable sector.”

Eugenia Peruzzo, Organising Officer of the IWGB Game Workers Union, said: "Our first IWGB ZA/UM recognition agreement is a proof of the power that game workers have when they come together, trust each other and join our Union. Recognition agreements lay the groundwork for a healthy relationship between the company and workers and rebalance the scale of powers after a few terrible years for the game industry and the redundancies we have seen happening at ZA/UM lately. We are looking forward to many more to come in the future. Rest assured that this is not a one off, but this is an avalanche in the making. "

Representatives from ZA/UM spoke with GamesIndustry.biz to discuss the situation more.

It's no secret that the games industry is in an unstable place. We believe that if things are going to improve then the workers must be represented in their company's decision making processes. This is a great step forward towards that goal, but we still have a long way to go. If you work in the UK games industry and feel the same, then join the union and let us work together for a stronger industry.

Sign up today!