Bloomberg published a report on October 31, 2025 claiming that roughly 30 to 40 Rockstar Games employees in the UK and Canada were dismissed after being part of a private Discord chat connected to union activity. The firings come as Rockstar prepares for the launch of Grand Theft Auto 6.
The story, as relayed in the Bloomberg report, says all the affected staff were let go around the same time and that their removals were tied to conduct in a private Discord chat described as a trade union channel. A union representative called the move an act of union busting, and offered a blunt condemnation of the studio’s actions.
Rockstar has just carried out one of the most blatant and ruthless acts of union busting in the history of the games industry. This flagrant contempt for the law and for the lives of the workers who bring in their billions is an insult to their fans and the global industry.
Take-Two, Rockstar’s parent company, rejected the union-busting claim and said the employees were terminated for what it described as gross misconduct. The exact nature of that misconduct has not been publicly detailed in full.
This story sits atop a broader moment in labor conversations in games. We previously covered a separate developer union vote at Blizzard teams, where studio staff voted to unionize, and union organizing has been a recurring topic across the industry in recent months. Readers who want background on other studio unionization efforts can read our piece about the Hearthstone and Warcraft Rumble developers voting to unionize.
GTA 6 itself has attracted intense scrutiny and heat around the studio in other ways as well. For example, we covered a GTA 6 leaker’s claim that review sessions could require on-site attendance, which helped underscore how closely Rockstar is managing discourse and access ahead of its launch.
Legally, firings tied to union activity can raise red flags under employment and labor law in multiple jurisdictions, but each case turns on the specific evidence and company policies. The simultaneous timing of these dismissals and the shared Discord membership are the details driving union advocates’ allegations. Take-Two’s misconduct framing will likely be central if disputes move into formal legal or regulatory reviews.
Rockstar has not released a full public breakdown of the incidents or the internal findings that led to these terminations. Bloomberg’s report and union statements are the primary published sources so far, and the company’s official position remains that the dismissals were disciplinary rather than anti-union measures.
If you have experience or additional context about this story, drop your thoughts in the comments and on our channels. Follow and join the conversation on X, Bluesky, YouTube.
