Employees of the Rockstar Games studio, behind GTA VI, called to vote on the recognition of a union

More than 1,600 British employees of Rockstar Games, the creator of Grand Theft Auto, are called to vote from Thursday on the recognition of a union, one week before the release of GTA VI and the end of a trial on around twenty dismissals. The vote concerns an agreement negotiated for four months between management and employees of the studio, aimed at recognizing the Rockstar Game Workers Union, explained in a press release the IWGB (Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain), of which it is a member.

If given the green light, this union would become the largest recognized in the video games sector in the United Kingdom, according to this source. The consultation runs until November 26, a few days after the particularly anticipated launch of the sixth opus of GTA on November 19.

Rockstar Games is currently defending itself in court in Scotland, cradle of the GTA franchise, for having dismissed 23 employees in October 2025 because of their union activity. The plaintiffs claim that they were on the verge of reaching the threshold of 10% union membership, necessary for its recognition within the company. The American company accuses them of having shared confidential information, including concerning GTA VI, on unsecured discussion channels on the Discord platform.

“What happens at Rockstar goes beyond the studio walls”

“We care deeply about the games we create, and we want to ensure that we can continue to do this work in an environment where we are respected, where we have a meaningful say in our (working) conditions, and can feel confident about our future,” said Nestor Uriate, animation programmer and representative of the Rockstar Game Workers Union, in a comment attached to the release. The agreement “would establish a framework for workers to negotiate wages, including overtime and bonuses, as well as leave and pensions, and give them consultation rights on human resources policies and the use of AI,” says the IWGB.

“What happens at Rockstar goes beyond the walls of the studio,” and concerns the entire industry, commented Alex Marshall, president of the IWGB. Other unions, notably the powerful SAG-AFTRA bringing together actors and professionals from the world of cinema, television and video games, as well as the CWA affiliated with the game developer and publisher Blizzard, have lent their support to this recognition. When contacted, Rockstar Games did not wish to comment on this subject.