GTA 6 Dispute Reaches UK Tribunal As Union And Rockstar Clash

GTA 6 remains at the center of a growing legal dispute in the UK after a preliminary tribunal hearing involving Rockstar Games and the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain. The union is seeking interim relief for developers fired late last year, a move that could place them back on payroll while the case proceeds.

IGN reports that the hearing focused on whether the dismissals were unlawful and whether immediate financial support is warranted.

The IWGB represents 31 UK-based staff among 34 employees dismissed across the UK and Canada in November. The union argues the workers were targeted for organizing activity. Rockstar disputes that claim, saying the firings stemmed from breaches of confidentiality involving discussions on Discord that included non-employees.

“We hope this week’s tribunal will grant urgently needed relief to the workers whose lives were turned upside down by Rockstar’s brutal union-busting, leaving them and their families without incomes, without secure futures, and in some cases without even the right to remain in the country they have made their home,” the IWGB said in a statement.— IWGB

The union said it remains confident regardless of the interim decision and plans to pursue a full tribunal hearing. It maintains that the workers communicated through protected trade union channels and denies that confidential material was shared publicly.

Rockstar Games has rejected those claims. The company told IGN that the Discord channel in question included at least 25 non-Rockstar users, among them developers at competing studios and a games journalist. Rockstar said this violated long-standing confidentiality policies tied to unreleased content, including details connected to GTA 6.

“We have consistently made clear that we took necessary action against a group of individuals across the UK and Canada who discussed highly confidential information,” a Rockstar spokesperson said. “This was never about union membership.”— Rockstar Games spokesperson

The dispute triggered protests outside Rockstar North’s Edinburgh studio and Take-Two’s London office. It also reached Parliament. Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the situation as “deeply concerning” and said ministers would examine the case. Local MP Chris Murray said meetings with Rockstar failed to reassure him that UK employment law had been followed.

Rockstar argues that its zero-tolerance approach to leaks is well established, citing prior dismissals in the UK, US, and India tied to unauthorized disclosures. The company also claims the alleged information included GTA 6 development progress and launch timelines, which it says could affect market confidence. When Rockstar officially announced that GTA 6 would be delayed to November 19, Take-Two’s market value fell by $3.75 billion in a single day, according to the company.

The tribunal will decide whether interim relief applies while a full hearing is scheduled. Both sides say the outcome will not settle the broader legal questions surrounding the dismissals.