404 Respect For Workers Not Found': Final Rockstar Union Busting Hearing Kicks

In spite of the powerful hype accompanying the encroaching release of Grand Theft Auto 6, it seems that Rockstar can’t quite get its feet out of the proverbial piranha pit.

Outside the hype cycle, the company has been the subject of some major controversy on the industry side of things due to the sudden firing of 31 employees last year. These ex-employees sued the company on the grounds of unlawful termination, and despite efforts on Rockstar’s part to get the case tossed, the proceedings have finally made it to a formal court.

Today marked the beginning of the employment tribunal between Rockstar Games and the fired employees. One of the primary accusations in this case is that the ex-employees in question were fired for attempting to unionize. This particular detail has inspired an outpouring of support, not just outside the Glasgow Tribunals Centre in Scotland where the case is being held, but around the world as well.

In fact, the current union within Rockstar manifested as a direct result of these firings, and the matter even attracted the attention of the British Parliament. However this case ends up panning out, it’s going to be a very big deal, both for the game industry in general and the current vibe around industry work standards.

Rockstar is Accused of Firing Employees for Attempting to Unionize

In October 2025, the 31 employees central to this case were suddenly fired from Rockstar Games while they were working on Grand Theft Auto 6, as well as blacklisted from the entire gaming industry.

As Rockstar tells it, these employees were terminated because they were sharing confidential information about the company to the Discord server of the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain, the union body that’s representing the workers in the case.

The IWGB’s assertion is that the employees were specifically fired because they were seeking unionization within the company. Rockstar attempted to have the claims of blacklisting removed from the case back in June, but the tribunal ultimately ruled against it and kept the case as presented.

The IWGB’s assertion is that the employees were specifically fired because they were seeking unionization.

Should the IWGB come out victorious over Rockstar, it has several demands on the fired employees’ behalf. First, the employees must either be reinstated to their previous positions, or provided equivalent compensation. Second, Rockstar must formally acknowledge that the firings were unwarranted and unlawful.

The Proceedings are Expected to Last About Five Weeks

Assuming everything goes to plan, the tribunal proceedings are ballparked to last approximately five weeks, ending around the middle of October. Whether or not any of this will have any direct impact on the sales of Grand Theft Auto 6 when it releases the following month, I couldn’t say. However, they could have a very real effect on the state of unionization both within Rockstar and in U.K.-based video game development. Following the landmark union victory at Blizzard Entertainment yesterday, we could be in for a major one-two punch of union movement in the very near future.

Prior to the start of the proceedings today, in footage recorded by Bluesky user Austin Kelmore, one of the fired Rockstar employees, Rachel Crawford, spoke to protestors gathered outside the tribunal, who were holding up signs with slogans like “404: Rockstar's respect for workers not found.”

“Today, we are fighting fear,” she said. “This long-awaited hearing is an opportunity to put fear in its place below us. Over the next five weeks we will face fear and show that we refuse to be silenced by it. In spite of fear, we will stand up proudly, speak out truth, and demand a better industry, a better world that we all deserve.”

Crawford also took the opportunity to praise those still working at Rockstar who began unionization efforts following her termination, who have recently been speaking out against caustic work practices like weaponized bonuses and development crunch, before a defiant closing statement: “Fear will not defeat them, and it will not defeat us. Union makes us strong. Thank you.”

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