Workers at Rockstar Games have publicly announced the formation of the Rockstar Game Workers Union, the first labor union at the company behind the Grand Theft Auto franchise, according to a report by Engadget.
The union represents workers across all of Rockstar's offices in the United Kingdom, covering locations in Edinburgh, London, Leeds, Lincoln, and Dundee. It operates as a subsidiary of the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain, known as the IWGB.
Members say the union is focused on issues including pay transparency, flexible working, and an end to crunch, the industry term for extended mandatory overtime periods that are common in game development. The decision to go public now is also tied directly to a legal fight that grew out of events in October 2026, when 31 workers were fired by Rockstar.
At the time of those firings, the IWGB called the decision "the most blatant and ruthless act of union busting in the history of the games industry." Rockstar maintained that the workers were let go for gross misconduct related to the sharing of confidential information. All 31 of the dismissed workers were also members of a union organizing channel on Discord.
Following the firings, protests were held outside several Rockstar studios. The IWGB filed a legal claim against the developer over what it considered the unfair dismissal of its employees. A UK employment tribunal denied the fired workers interim pay in January 2026, but the case has not yet been fully resolved in court. The union said part of the reason it decided to go public now is to raise money for the ongoing legal defense.
The announcement comes at a moment when Rockstar and its parent company 2K are drawing significant public attention. Grand Theft Auto VI is scheduled for release in November, and unless the game is delayed again, the launch will put additional focus on both the company and its newly public labor organization.
