GTA 6 studio London offices hit with protests after more than 30 employees fired

Protests have been taking place outside of Take-Two Interactive's London offices after more than 30 employees were sacked at Rockstar Games, the developers of the Grand Theft Auto series. Take-Two is the parent company of Rockstar.

IWGB (The Independent Workers Union of Great Britain) trade union accused Rockstar of "union busting", claiming staff members were dismissed over "trade union activity" - but Rockstar said those staff were dismissed due to "gross misconduct".

A Rockstar spokesperson told Bloomberg: "Last week, we took action against a small number of individuals who were found to be distributing and discussing confidential information in a public forum, a violation of our company policies.

"This was in no way related to people's right to join a union or engage in union activities."

But IWGB has been "fighting back" against Rockstar and held a protest outside Take-Two's London offices on Thursday (6 November), adamant the dismissals have been "unlawful and retaliatory".

A statement from IWGB about what happened at Rockstar said: "More than 30 members of UK staff at Rockstar Games, developers of the Grand Theft Auto series, were fired on Thursday 30 October due to trade union activity.

"The staff, who were all part of a private trade union Discord channel and members of the Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain, were dismissed in what the union argues constitutes unlawful and retaliatory dismissals.

"Organisers at the IWGB have reported that among the staff dismissed were those with visas sponsored by Rockstar and those with medical conditions who will lose access to essential workplace healthcare schemes."

Spring McParlin-Jones, chair of the IWGB Game Workers Union, said: "Next year, GTA 6 is expected to make upwards of 10 billion dollars (£7.6 billion).

"That's enough to end world hunger for a year. Such a flagrant attack on workers' rights from such a valuable studio sends a very clear and shocking message to the world, that money matters more than people."

Alan Lewis, the head of global corporate communications at Take-Two, said: "We strive to make the world's best entertainment properties by giving our best-in-class creative teams positive work environments and ongoing career opportunities.

"Our culture is focused on teamwork, excellence, and kindness. Rockstar Games terminated a small number of individuals for gross misconduct, and for no other reason. As always, we fully support Rockstar's ambitions and approach."

GTA 6 is the most highly-anticipated game release of all time, which continues to surprise fans with leaks, rumours and speculation.

Fans have been waiting since December 2023 when the first trailer for the game was released. After Rockstar released GTA 6 trailer 2 in May 2025, with lots of new screenshots, artwork and a revamped website, players have been eager for more.

The update came shortly after GTA 6's release date was delayed from Autumn 2025 to 26 May 2026.

indy100 has contacted Rockstar Games for further comment.

Elsewhere from indy100:

• Is Red Dead Redemption 3 happening? Rockstar co-founder gives biggest clue yet
• The reason for the release date delay of GTA 6 has been officially revealed

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