Anonymous Rockstar Employee Claims Layoffs Were Union Busting, Not Leaks
Rockstar Games, the developer behind Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption, is once again facing controversy following the recent termination of between 30 and 40 employees. The Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB) previously accused the studio of union busting, an allegation Rockstar has publicly denied, claiming the dismissals were related to “information leaks” on a public forum.
However, the situation has taken a dramatic turn after an anonymous Rockstar employee published a detailed post on GTAForums, the largest community dedicated to the franchise. According to the post, whose author’s identity was reportedly verified by a forum moderator, the terminated staff were not responsible for leaks, but were instead members of the company’s emerging union effort.
The employee describes the firings as sudden and aggressive, stating that affected workers were contacted by HR for what was described as “a quick chat,” only to be presented with termination letters citing misconduct linked to private Discord discussions. No evidence was reportedly provided to substantiate the misconduct claims, and those called into offices were escorted out within minutes. Others, working remotely or on leave, received abrupt phone calls notifying them of their dismissal, some lasting less than two minutes.
The post alleges that several long-standing and critical employees, including leads, designers, programmers, artists, and producers, were dismissed despite clean disciplinary records and years of service. It further claims that the Discord channel in question was used exclusively for discussions about workplace conditions and union organization, not for sharing proprietary or leaked content. The employee argues that all those terminated were active union members, and the timing of the layoffs coincided with the union group reaching the threshold required to initiate formal negotiations over pay and working conditions.
“The timing was clearly intended to sabotage union recognition,” the employee wrote. “These terminations were not about leaks. They were about silencing organizing efforts. If Rockstar can do this once without consequences, they will do it again.”
The post concludes with an appeal for community support, encouraging fans to donate to the Action Network’s fundraising campaign set up to aid the dismissed employees.
This controversy comes at a sensitive time for Rockstar. The company is under intense public scrutiny following its announcement yesterday that Grand Theft Auto VI has been delayed for the second time, moving its release date from May 26, 2026, to November 19, 2026. The internal tensions revealed by these allegations could raise further questions about workplace culture and labor relations within one of the industry’s most successful studios.
Rockstar Games has yet to issue an official response to the new claims.
Do you believe the anonymous employee’s account reflects a deeper issue within Rockstar’s management, or is the company justified in its decision to dismiss staff over alleged leaks? Share your thoughts below.
