Rockstar Reaffirms Its Claim That The 34 Fired Employees Were Dismissed for Distributing Confidential Information, Not for Unionizing

Grand Theft Auto VI developer Rockstar is currently being accused of union-busting by the 34 workers (31 in UK, three in Canada) it fired and the IWGB (Independent Workers of Great Britain), and after the story reached UK parliament for a second time, this time with Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaking on it, Rockstar has released a statement reaffirming its previous claims that the fired employees were dismissed for distributing and discussing confidential information, not because they were part of the union.

In a statement sent to IGN, Rockstar not only reaffirmed its previous claims but also specified the alleged confidential information more than it did before. When Rockstar initially claimed the employees were dismissed for gross misconduct regarding the alleged leak of confidential information, it stated the employees were "found to be distributing and discussing confidential information in a public forum."

This time, the new statement specifies that the employees were distributing and discussing confidential information "including specific game features from upcoming and unannounced titles."

"Rockstar Games took action against a small group of individuals, across the UK and internationally, who distributed and discussed confidential information (including specific game features from upcoming and unannounced titles) in a public forum, in breach of company policy and their legal obligations. Claims that these dismissals were linked to union membership or activities are entirely false and misleading," the full statement reads.

After Rockstar first made its claim that the employees were leaking confidential information, the IWGB, other union members, and employees speaking up anonymously have not only refuted these claims, but a recent report points to Rockstar allegedly trying to use employees discussing changing Slack policies in a union-members-only Discord server as the breach of confidential information that got the 34 employees fired.

The IWGB has also filed legal claims against Rockstar based on the evidence it is collecting and its accusations of union-busting, and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer confirmed the government would be investigating the accusations in parliament yesterday, December 10, 2025.

It's also worth remembering that Chris Murray, the MP who brought the issue directly to Starmer during yesterday's parliament, also noted that he came to parliament after having spoken to Rockstar, saying that they "failed to reassure me they are following employment law, and I share concerns about union-busting."

IGN's report also includes further statements from Murray, who told IGN that upon his arrival at Rockstar, the studio attempted to force him and fellow MPs Tracy Gilbert and Scott Arthur to sign an NDA before they could enter the building to discuss the firings. All three MPs made it clear they would not sign, and Rockstar eventually gave way.

"The meeting began with us as MPs refused entry unless an NDA was signed, a request they eventually withdrew after it being made clear this would not be signed," Murray said. "The meeting only entrenched my concerns about the process Rockstar used to dismiss so many of their staff members, I was not assured their process paid robust attention to UK employment law, I was not convinced that this course of action was necessary, and alarmingly, I did not leave informed on exactly what these 31 people had done to warrant their immediate dismissal."

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