Protests erupt at Rockstar Games offices accusing GTA 6 developers of “Union Busting”

Protests have broken out outside Rockstar North’s Edinburgh studio and Take-Two Interactive’s London headquarters, as demonstrators accuse the company of “union busting” following the dismissal of dozens of staff members.

The Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) organized the demonstrations after claiming that the firings of 30–40 employees were aimed at halting unionization efforts.

Protesters gathered outside both offices on November 6, holding banners and calling for the reinstatement of the affected workers.

Take-Two and Rockstar have strongly denied those accusations. A Rockstar spokesperson told Bloomberg that the employees were dismissed for “leaking company secrets,” stating, “This was in no way related to people’s right to join a union or engage in union activities.”

At the London protest, a speaker read out an anonymous statement from one of the dismissed staff.

“I was dismissed without warning, without evidence, and without a chance to speak for myself. All because I talked with colleagues in a private union chat. We weren’t leaking anything or trying to harm the company.

“We were supporting each other, trying to understand our workplace and make it better. To lose my job for that feels deeply unfair. No one should be punished for being part of a union, or for speaking honestly about their work.”

Protesters also chanted, “Rockstar, Rockstar, you’re disgusting. We charge you with union busting.”

Bloomberg journalist Jason Schreier first reported on the firings, revealing that several employees accused Rockstar of attempting to “silence” internal organization efforts.

Scottish Greens co-leader Ross Greer has called for the staff to be “reinstated now”.

Rockstar has maintained that the decision followed violations of company policy, claiming the dismissed employees had shared confidential information on a forum that included non-employees. The studio’s statement followed a similar denial from parent company Take-Two, which said the workers were terminated for “gross misconduct and for no other reason.”

The controversy comes as Rockstar prepares for the release of Grand Theft Auto 6, scheduled for May 26, 2026. Development on the project is reportedly in its final stages, with internal teams under increased scrutiny after the massive leak of GTA 6 gameplay clips in 2022.