A UK employment tribunal has ruled against forcing Rockstar Games to pay interim relief to 34 developers who were fired in October, marking the first major decision in an ongoing legal battle with the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB).
The Glasgow Employment Tribunal determined that it “was unable to conclude that it appears likely that the tribunal will find that the principal reason for the claimants’ dismissal was their membership of the IWGB.” However, the ruling reveals significant nuances that could complicate Rockstar’s position in the full trial ahead.
The Dispute
Rockstar claims the 34 employees—31 UK-based developers—were terminated for leaking confidential company information through a Discord server organized by the IWGB for union organizing purposes. The studio alleged employees shared proprietary information in the channel without authorization.
The IWGB has countered with accusations of union-busting, claiming Rockstar deliberately targeted employees for their union activities. The union further alleges that Rockstar impersonated a staff member to covertly monitor developers in the Discord channel and obtained messages “without the knowledge of employees.”
Cracks in Rockstar’s Defense
Despite winning the interim relief decision, the tribunal’s ruling highlighted troubling details for the studio. The judge noted that Rockstar fired some employees who barely posted anything to the Discord server and found “absolutely zero evidence Rockstar suffered any adverse consequences” from the posts.
Additionally, the Discord included approximately 350 members, including current employees who expressed support for unionizing but were not terminated—a point the IWGB emphasizes undermines Rockstar’s leaking justification.
What Comes Next
This interim relief ruling is only the opening skirmish. The bar for interim relief is “exceptionally high” in UK employment law, meaning the standard for the full tribunal hearing will be significantly lower. IWGB president Alex Marshall stated: “Despite being refused interim relief today, we’ve come out of last week’s hearing more confident than ever that a full and substantive tribunal will find Rockstar’s calculated attempt to crush a union to be not only unjust but unlawful.”
The full tribunal will examine whether Rockstar’s actions constitute trade union victimization and blacklisting under UK law. UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has already indicated that Parliament will investigate the union-busting allegations, calling the case “deeply concerning.”
The GTA 6 Connection
The firings occurred shortly before Grand Theft Auto 6 was delayed to November 19, 2026. While Rockstar has not explicitly linked the two events, the timing has intensified scrutiny of the studio’s handling of the situation.
Rockstar maintains its position, stating: “We regret that we were put in a position where dismissals were necessary, but we stand by our course of action as supported by the outcome of this hearing.”
Photo by Peggychoucair on Pixabay