BBCFormer employees of the company behind Grand Theft Auto have told the BBC they allegedly suffered “devastating” mass dismissals because they tried to form a union.
About 31 employees were dismissed in October over what Rockstar North called “gross misconduct”.
Most based at the gaming giant’s Edinburgh headquarters, former employees claimed they were punished for discussing working conditions in a private online forum.
Rockstar North said it was incorrect to suggest that the dismissals were linked to union membership or activities. It said it took action after employees discussed confidential information, including specific game features of upcoming titles, in a public forum.
The Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) called it a “brutal act of union-busting”.
Rockstar North is one of the UK’s largest game developers.
Its upcoming GTA 6 game is expected to be one of the best-selling games of all time when it releases in November 2026.
Information about game development is strictly controlled in the gaming industry, with employees often signing legally binding agreements not to share confidential information.
A group of workers have been regularly protesting outside Rockstar North’s Edinburgh and London offices.
BBC Scotland News has now spoken to three sacked Edinburgh employees accused of revealing company information.
Jordan Garland, a former senior production coordinator, said that many staff members wanted to unionize because “we were very passionate about the industry and the workplace in particular”.
“We just saw it as something we could do to make it better for everyone,” he said.
“So it’s a little devastating because it’s an industry I love, and I think we all love it. We can’t really see ourselves anywhere else.”
‘sleepless nights’
He said staff members were discussing working conditions at the firm in a private digital forum.
Jordan said: “We were talking about working conditions, policy – not talking about projects or anything like that, just talking about conditions.
“To me it seems like an essential, necessary part of organizing. How can you organize a workplace if you can’t talk about the conditions there?”
Jordan has worked at the company for 11 years and believes he was the first employee to be fired on the morning of October 30.
“The first week was definitely tough,” he said. “It was a lot of sleepless nights, a lot of tossing and turning about this.
“But in a terrible way, it’s good that they fired so many people because now it has this really strong community element.”
Designer Jamie Trimmer worked in the gaming industry for most of his adult life before being fired from Rockstar North.
“I’ve worked there for 18 years,” he said. “I think I’m the person with the longest tenure who got fired.
“That’s really all I know, and then it’s kind of torn apart. I don’t really know what to do next.
“I never thought they would hit the nuclear option of firing so many of us at once. It highlights the need for unions.”
‘Deeply concerned’
The group, along with their sacked colleagues, are now hoping to take Rockstar North to an employment tribunal.
However, they may have to wait up to a year for their case to be heard.
In the meantime, they are waiting to know if they qualify for an intermediate relief hearing, which could reinstate them to their roles or be kept on Rockstar North’s payroll.
MP Chris Murray also raised the issue during Prime Minister’s Questions in Westminster last week.
Sir Keir Starmer said it was “deeply worrying” and promised to look into the issue.
He said: “Every worker has the right to join a trade union, and we are committed to strengthening workers’ rights and ensuring they do not face unfair consequences for being part of a union.”
Dismissed production co-ordinator Sarah Blackburn said that public and political support had helped her deal with the situation.
“It’s really heartening to hear, and in a way, I would say, confirmation of that,” she said.
“We’ve had a lot of support from places I really didn’t expect.
“We have people who were in unions, who have fought before in different industries basically just expressing solidarity and support. It’s a show of strength and it’s been painful to be on this side of it, but I think the support has been great.”
In a statement, Rockstar North told BBC Scotland News: “Rockstar Games took action against a small group of individuals in the UK and internationally who distributed and discussed confidential information (including specific game features from upcoming and unannounced titles) on a public forum in violation of company policy and their legal obligations.
“Claims that these dismissals were linked to union membership or activities are completely false and misleading.”
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