Game creator sacked us for trying to unionise

Former staff at the firm behind Grand Theft Auto have told the BBC there has been a “devastating” mass redundancy over claims they tried to unionise.

Approximately 31 employees were fired in October for what Rockstar North called “gross misconduct.”

The majority were based at the gaming giant’s headquarters in Edinburgh, with former employees claiming they were punished for discussing working conditions in a private online forum.

Rockstar North said it was wrong to suggest the layoffs were linked to union membership or activities. It was stated that the action was taken after employees discussed confidential information, including certain gameplay features of upcoming games, in a public forum.

The Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) called it a “brutal act of union busting”.

Rockstar North is one of the UK’s largest game developers.

The upcoming GTA 6 game is expected to be one of the best-selling games of all time when it launches in November 2026.

Information regarding game development is tightly controlled throughout the gaming industry, with employees often signing legally binding agreements not to share confidential information.

Groups of workers routinely protest outside Rockstar North’s Edinburgh and London offices.

BBC Scotland News spoke to three of the sacked Edinburgh employees accused of disclosing company information.

Jordan Garland, a former senior production coordinator, said many staff members want to unionize because “we are so passionate about the industry and especially the workplace.”

“We saw this as something we could do to make it better for everyone,” he added.

“So it’s kind of devastating because it’s an industry that I love, and I think we all do. We really couldn’t see ourselves anywhere else.”

He said staff discussed working conditions at the firm in a private digital forum.

Jordan added: “We were talking about working conditions and politics, not projects or anything like that, just conditions.

“This seems to me to be an important, necessary part of organizing. If you can’t talk about the conditions in a workplace, how can you organize?”

Jordan has been with the company for 11 years and believes he was the first employee to be laid off on the morning of October 30th.

“The first week was definitely tough,” he said. “It was a lot of sleepless nights, a lot of tossing and turning.

“But frighteningly, it’s a good thing they’re firing so many people because there’s a really strong community element now.”

Designer Jamie Trimmer worked in the games industry for most of his adult life before being fired from Rockstar North.

“I’ve been working there for about 18 years,” he said. “I think I’m the longest serving person to ever be fired.

“That’s all I really know, and then it just kind of fades away. I’m left really not knowing what to do next.”

“I never expected they would resort to the nuclear option of firing so many of us at once. This underscores the need for unions.”

The group, along with their dismissed colleagues, now hope to take Rockstar North to an employment tribunal.

However, they may have to wait up to a year for their case to be heard.

In the meantime, they are waiting to learn whether they qualify for an interim relief hearing that would allow them to return to their roles or remain on Rockstar North’s payroll.

The issue was also raised by MP Chris Murray at Prime Minister’s Questions in Westminster last week.

Sir Keir Starmer said the situation was “deeply worrying” and promised to look into the matter.

He added: “Every worker has the right to join a union and we are committed to strengthening workers’ rights and ensuring they do not face unfair consequences for joining a union.”

Sacked production coordinator Sarah Blackburn said public and political support had helped her cope with the situation.

“To actually hear that and, I would say, validate it in a way, it’s very encouraging,” he said.

“We’ve received a lot of support from places I really didn’t expect.

“We’ve had people who have been in unions before, struggling in different sectors, basically just expressing solidarity and support. It’s a flex of power and it’s been painful to be on that side, but I think the support has been great.”

In a statement, Rockstar North told BBC Scotland News: “Rockstar Games has taken action against a small group of individuals across the UK and internationally who were distributing and discussing confidential information (including certain gameplay features from upcoming and unannounced games) in a public forum, in breach of company policy and legal obligations.

“Any claims that these dismissals are linked to union membership or activities are completely false and misleading.”