‘Say Sorry, Be Nice!’: Staff at Rockstar fired en masse in “calculated attack on workers”

• Rockstar Games, the studio behind the Grand Theft Auto series, has fired over 30 of its staff for trade union activity, in what the union officials describe as ‘the most blatant and ruthless act of union busting in the history of the games industry.’

• All of those dismissed at Rockstar UK were members of the IWGB Game Workers Union discord channel, and the union says they appear to have been targeted for this reason.

• The sudden mass firing comes just months ahead of the release of Grand Theft Auto VI, predicted to be the biggest game launch in history, set to generate over a $1 billion in pre-orders alone.

The Background

Over 30 members of UK staff at Rockstar Games, developers of the Grand Theft Auto series, were fired on Thursday 30th October due to trade union activity. The staff, who were all part of a private trade union Discord channel and members of the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB), were dismissed in what the union argues constitutes unlawful and retaliatory dismissals.

Organisers at the IWGB have reported that amongst the staff dismissed were those with visas sponsored by Rockstar and those with medical conditions who will lose access to essential workplace healthcare schemes.

Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto series is the most profitable videogame franchise in the world – the last installment generating a staggering $1 billion in its first three days of sales and going on to make over $7 billion. Grand Theft Auto VI, releasing in early 2026, is expected to break all records and earn Rockstar upwards of $10 billion.

Rockstar’s parent company, Take-Two Interactive, have claimed staff were sacked for sharing confidential information, with a spokesperson stating:

Last week, we took action against a small number of individuals who were found to be distributing and discussing confidential information in a public forum, a violation of our company policies.

‘A brazen act of illegal union busting’?

The IWGB disagrees, instead viewing this as a brazen act of illegal union busting. The union says it will be mounting a full and robust defense of its members who it believes have been targeted unfairly for exercising their legal rights.

Alex Marshall, IWGB President said:

Rockstar has just carried out the most blatant and ruthless act of union busting in the history of the games industry. This flagrant contempt for the law and for the lives of the workers who bring in their billions is an insult to their fans and the global industry.

Despite this calculated attack on workers organising for a collective voice and to improve their difficult working conditions, the Rockstar Union remains undeterred. They will keep organising for respect and better conditions whilst continuing to pour their blood, sweat and creativity into games that are loved by millions.

The IWGB will pursue every legal claim possible to ensure our members are reinstated and receive interim relief.

Spring Mcparlin-Jones, Chair of the IWGB Game Workers Union said:

Next year, Grand Theft Auto VI is expected to make  upwards of $10 billion. That’s enough to end world hunger for a year. Such a flagrant attack on workers’ rights from such a valuable studio sends a very clear and shocking message to the world, that money matters more than people.

‘Say Sorry, Be Nice!’ Demonstrators target Rockstar’s HQ in Edinburgh

The fallout from Rockstar’s firings continued as workers gathered outside the offices in Edinburgh. Using the company’s own famous line, ‘Say Sorry, Be Nice!’, large numbers of workers and supporters protested outside Take-Two Interactive’s offices. YouTube channel People Make Games spoke with some of the developers and IWGB organizers about how they’re fighting back against the Grand Theft Auto 6 developer and what happens next.

“The energy, the excitement, that spark that made this place so special is now shattered,” a current Rockstar employee wrote in a letter read aloud by an IWGB organizer. “And I know I’m not the only one who feels this way right now. I know I’m not alone. And it’s heartbreaking because right now, when we should be more united, and focused on the project than ever, most of us are scared, hurt, and feel uncertain.”

At the rally outside Rockstar’s HQ, IWGB organiser Fred Carter, said:

What happens next is up to Rockstar. I have never seen a thing like this, not just in the game sector but in the UK trade union organizing in the last 20 years. This is the moment they can make that right. These are workers who just want to go back to work to work on the game that they love. If they don’t [comply], they’ve seen what they have to contend with. The force of public feeling is against them on this. And we’ll continue to put pressure on them through legal, through demonstrations, speaking about what these workers have experienced.

Watch the People Make Games video below: