200+ Rockstar North Employees Sign Letter Calling Out Management For “Vicious Union Busting”
More than two hundred Rockstar North employees have signed a letter to management condemning the sudden dismissal of thirty one colleagues as a “blatant, unapologetic act of vicious union busting.” The controversy began in early November when Rockstar terminated the employment of thirty one workers. Although the company attempted to justify the decision by alleging internal information leaks, those claims have been disputed by anonymous staff and by recent reporting from People Make Games, which conducted interviews with affected employees and documented multiple protests held outside Rockstar North’s Edinburgh office.
The letter, first reported by Eurogamer, is the latest organized effort demanding that Rockstar reinstate the fired employees. It includes strong language directed at management and accuses the company of engaging in deliberate anti union activity. According to the employees involved, as well as the Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain (IWGB), the firings amount to an unequivocal attempt to stifle unionization efforts within the studio.
“It is heartwarming to see so many of our colleagues supporting us and holding management to account,” said one of the dismissed employees speaking under anonymity. “During a period where Rockstar want us to feel scared, my brave former colleagues are marching straight up to our boss’s door and demanding our voices are heard and not backing down.”
Another former employee added, “It is clear to everyone close to this situation that this is a blatant, unapologetic act of vicious union busting. Rockstar employs so many talented game developers, all of whom are crucial to making the games we put out.”
All thirty one individuals who were fired were union members, many of them leading the initiative to formally unionize. Before the dismissals, the group was reportedly close to reaching the ten percent membership threshold required for official union recognition. To the IWGB, these factors combined with the abrupt manner of the terminations reinforce the conclusion that Rockstar acted to prevent union formation.
In addition to the letter from current staff, the IWGB has filed a legal claim against Rockstar after the company declined to meet with union representatives advocating on behalf of the dismissed workers. The dispute is ongoing and has intensified calls for stronger protections for workers within the UK game development industry.
What is your take on this escalating dispute at Rockstar North? Does this represent a broader shift in how studios handle unionization efforts? Share your thoughts below.
