Rockstar and the IWGB present their cases as the tribunal begins
An employment tribunal involving Rockstar and the Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain is presently in session and will continue until October 16.
In the previous year, 34 employees at Rockstar were terminated, with the company citing serious misconduct and unauthorized sharing of confidential data. This occurred following changes to Slack policies, though those affected allege the termination was due to their involvement with the union.
Documents obtained by Game Developer reveal allegations that since February 2024, a person within the union's Discord server was transmitting information to Charlie Kinloch, an HR manager and co-studio operations director at Rockstar.
The claimants also suggest that a notable increase in union membership in October 2025 was reported by this informant, which occurred just before the group reached a crucial membership number for legal recognition in the UK. Shortly after achieving this milestone, the lay-offs ensued.
According to the plaintiffs, they were dismissed abruptly and removed from the premises without receiving specific reasons. The days following the dismissals reportedly saw a significant reduction in the union's server membership.
Rockstar's counter-narrative involves prioritizing the protection of its confidential content, due to prior leaks of GTA 6 content that wasn't finalized, made available online.
The company likens the confidentiality of their game designs to that of major corporations like Apple or Coca-Cola. It explains that the Discord server in question had areas with increasing levels of openness, with the largest containing around 350 mostly anonymous members as of October 2025. Rockstar asserts that discharged employees revealed sensitive company information to outsiders, which included past employees, rivals, and a journalist.
The company also refers to defamatory remarks made about its management in the server, stating that the termination of those individuals resulted from an "irretrievable breakdown in trust and confidence," not union involvement. Notably, three fired individuals in Canada were reportedly not union affiliates.
For further details on the dispute, you can explore this comprehensive timeline.