As the fallout of Rockstar Games' decision to terminate 31 Grand Theft Auto 6 developers over what it claims to be "gross misconduct" continues to spiral, 220 staff members at Rockstar North have penned a joint letter demanding their former colleagues be reinstated immediately. Rockstar has already faced backlash from both the fired staffers and government organizations in the United Kingdom, and now remaining employees have voiced their support for their expulsed team members.
It was first revealed on October 31 that Rockstar fired dozens of GTA 6 developers, though the reason for the termination was unknown at the time. In the weeks following, however, some of the former employees accused Rockstar of union busting, as all the affected members were in talks to join unions or were already active members of such organizations. Despite Rockstar's insistence that no laws were broken with the firings, the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB) has drawn into question the legality of the move. While the potential for litigation remains ongoing, those who remain at Rockstar North have now made it clear which side of the dispute they are on.
Rockstar Explains Why It Fired GTA 6 Developers
Following union busting allegations from fired Rockstar Games workers, the studio offers its own explanation for firing the GTA 6 devs.
Remaining Rockstar Staff Voice Support for Their Fired Colleagues
On November 13, the IWGB issued an official statement announcing that 220 Rockstar staff members have written to "management at the company" with a joint demand for all 31 fired employees to be "immediately reinstated." Multiple protests against Rockstar Games have been organized by the IWGB and the former staffers, with gatherings taking place outside the Rockstar North offices in Edinburgh, as well as at the Take-Two offices in London and Paris. More protests are planned to take place on November 18, though it remains unknown at this time if the incumbent staff will be joining their former colleagues at the picket lines.
Rockstar has continued to defend its decision, with claims that the terminated workers had violated company policy by leaking confidential information in a public Discord server that included non-staff members. On the flip side, the fired employees have stated that the server was only used to discuss unionizing, hence the muddy legal issues facing Rockstar.
Fans and industry experts alike have already speculated that further backlash could prove detrimental, particularly after GTA 6 was delayed again, and many predict further delays if Rockstar Games does end up in any hot water with the UK government. As it stands, no official evidence has been provided in a court of law to support or refute either side's argument, and it remains to be seen if the matter will escalate that far or if the two parties will settle on a resolution anytime soon.
OpenCritic Reviews
- Released
- November 19, 2026
- ESRB
- Rating Pending - Likely Mature 17+
- Developer(s)
- Rockstar Games
- Publisher(s)
- Rockstar Games
