A UK employment tribunal has rejected a request from Rockstar to exclude 'blacklisting' claims from an upcoming trial

The UK employment tribunal has denied the request from Rockstar Games to exclude allegations of 'blacklisting' from a legal case brought by former employees. These workers are represented by the IWGB Game Workers union and have accused the company of unfair practices.

According to Eurogamer, Rockstar sought to eliminate the blacklisting claim from the trial, but there has been no public disclosure of their reasoning. Blacklisting involves tracking union activists or other specific groups to potentially influence hiring and management choices. The trial has been scheduled to begin on September 10 and conclude by October 15.

The legal matter originated in October 2025 when Rockstar terminated 34 employees in the UK and Canada for alleged "gross misconduct". These employees were part of the IWGB Game Workers union, which accused Rockstar of anti-union activities.

Rockstar asserted that the dismissed staff leaked "confidential information". However, People Make Games reported that the supposed leak was merely discussions about workplace Slack policies within a private Discord server.

Reacting to the situation, UK Prime Minister Kier Starmer deemed the dismissals "deeply concerning", as reported by GamesIndustry.biz. Following these events, IWGB filed formal legal actions against Rockstar in November.

Ellie Dunstan, one of the employees dismissed last October, expressed: "This decision marks a significant point for us. We are eager for our full case to be heard and tested in court as originally intended. What happened last October will be put in the spotlight." She added that the entire process has been emotionally and financially challenging and emphasized the importance of workers' rights to speak up and organize within the gaming industry.

Spring McParlin-Jones, representing IWGB Game Workers, commented on the tribunal's decision, stating that Rockstar's attempts to avoid accountability are now under greater scrutiny. "The tribunal's ruling highlights critical questions about the firings that need examination," she noted, underlining the global gaming community's awareness and the tribunal's recognition of these contentious issues.