According to a report, Rockstar dismissed employees following discussions in an external Discord, which arose after changes were made to the company's Slack policy

A recent investigation by People Make Games has highlighted that Rockstar Games recently terminated the employment of 34 staff members due to "gross misconduct," which reportedly stemmed from discussions about changes to the company's Slack policies conducted on an external platform. These conversations unfolded on a private Discord server established in 2022, aimed at fostering unionization efforts within the company, and included members from the Independent Workers of Great Britain (IWGB).

In October, Rockstar enacted changes to internal Slack channels by closing some forums and imposing new restrictions on the kinds of status updates employees could share. These channels, previously used for sharing industry updates including large-scale layoffs, were viewed as a productivity concern by the company. Given that employees cannot access company email outside the office, some shared emails about these Slack changes on the Discord server, leading to heightened scrutiny.

The Messages Rockstar Saw Before Firing 34 Union Members

Despite claims of confidential information not being disclosed, discussions within the server included topics like compensation. IWGB president Alex Marshall remarked on the normalcy of discussing employment conditions and criticized Rockstar for their harsh response, suggesting it illustrated an attempt to curb worker solidarity and transparency.

Rockstar and parent company Take-Two Interactive have declined to elaborate beyond their existing statements, but their actions have led to accusations of union busting by the IWGB. Legal action has been initiated against the company, alleging wrongful dismissal. Meanwhile, more than 200 employees of Rockstar North have called for the reinstatement of their sacked colleagues, and protests have been organized at locations in London and Edinburgh.