Tribunal over 31 dismissed GTA VI workers opens Thursday in Glasgow

The final hearing in the employment case over the 31 workers Rockstar Games dismissed during GTA VI development opens at Glasgow Employment Tribunal this Thursday, September 10. IGN reports that it is scheduled to run until October 16.

The Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB) brought the claims. It alleges that the workers were unlawfully dismissed and blacklisted for union activity. Rockstar denies this, and in a statement to IGN the company said:

"Rockstar Games' position has been clear and consistent throughout. Individuals across the UK and Canada were dismissed for gross misconduct following the sharing of confidential company information, not because of alleged trade union membership or activity. We reject the claims and will defend them vigorously before the tribunal."

Rockstar dismissed 34 staff in October 2025: 31 in the UK and three in Canada. The Glasgow case concerns the 31.

The union's case

According to GTAVice.net, the IWGB claims Rockstar compiled lists identifying union members and used them to decide who would be let go. Blacklisting of this kind is prohibited under UK law. Rockstar applied to have the blacklisting allegations struck out before the final hearing, but a judge rejected the application, so they will be heard.

The union also says the dismissals came without any disciplinary process or right of appeal. Per IGN, staff in the office were allegedly called into meetings, fired with immediate effect and escorted out, while those working off site say they were told in calls lasting around two minutes and then locked out of their accounts.

One case the IWGB highlights is that of Will Mesilane. The union alleges he had to return to Australia after Rockstar withdrew his work visa and reported him to the Home Office, with no chance to appeal.

The workers are asking for reinstatement or, failing that, compensation, along with a finding that their dismissals were unfair, Eurogamer reports.

Rockstar's account

Rockstar's version centres on a Discord channel. Per IGN, the company says the comments there covered GTA VI features, overall progress and launch timelines, as well as its IT security protocols. It says the channel had hundreds of members, including alleged employees of rival developers and a games journalist. The IWGB disputes this and says the channel was private.

Rockstar also says it did not know at the time that the fired staff were involved with a union. It points to earlier leak-related dismissals in the U.S. in November 2023, in Lincoln, UK in April 2025, and in India in November 2025.

Outside the courtroom

Both sides have been speaking publicly. Former Rockstar employee and IWGB member Jason Lewis said: "For almost a year, the truth about what happened to us has been buried by Rockstar and surrounded by speculation. Now we finally get the chance to put it on the record."

IWGB president Alex Marshall went for the pun: "We believe Rockstar has tried to get away with Grand Theft Employment Rights." He added that if Rockstar can fire workers for organising, "every employer in Britain gets the message that they can do the same."

The case has also reached Parliament. GTAVice says Chris Murray MP raised it at Prime Minister's Questions, and Eurogamer quotes Keir Starmer calling it "a deeply concerning case."

The claimants have asked supporters not to boycott GTA VI. Instead, they want people to back their legal fund and buy the campaign T-shirts.

The case is not the only thing going on between the two sides. According to IGN, Rockstar and the IWGB are negotiating formal union recognition while the case continues. The union wants pay transparency, protection from post-release layoffs, an end to crunch and better flexible working. Separately, Eurogamer reports that Take-Two is taking legal action to obtain private user information from Discord over recent leaks of GTA VI gameplay footage.

The hearing starts on Thursday and is scheduled to end on October 16. The sources do not say when a judgment is expected.