The Independent Workers of Great Britain union held a rally today in Glasgow, Scotland to mark the beginning of the final workplace tribunal hearing that will resolve the case of 31 former Rockstar employees who were fired by the company in October 2025.
The dispute turns on the cause of the terminations, or lack thereof: Rockstar says the employees were fired for leaking information about “upcoming and unannounced” games in a public forum, while the IWGB says it’s plain-and-simple union busting, and that Rockstar further erred by firing the employees immediately rather than following a disciplinary process or granting the former employees any opportunity to appeal. The fired employees are seeking a ruling declaring that their terminations were unfair, along with reinstatement or compensation.
“We believe Rockstar has tried to get away with Grand Theft Employment Rights,” IWGB union president Alex Marshall said. “After a year of fighting to get answers, we hope this tribunal will finally back them into a corner and bring the truth to light. As the world gets its first proper look at GTA 6, this hearing will give people a chance to look behind the scenes at what happened to the workers who helped make it.”
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One especially powerful moment at the rally was a speech given by former Rockstar programmer Rachel Crawford, who worked on Grand Theft Auto 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2, and was among the employees terminated in 2025.
Closing out the rally, @nershly.bsky.social beautifully speaks about her experience being fired by Rockstar and how they try to use fear.
— @austinkelmore.com (@austinkelmore.com.bsky.social) 2026-09-11T13:29:32.149Z
“The modern workplace runs on fear. Fear of speaking out. Fear of being punished. Fear of being fired, losing your livelihood and even your home.
“On October 30 2025, I was fired by Rockstar Games. I was fired without warning and without even being given a clear answer as to what it was I’d done to deserve it. Within minutes, I was out the door, feeling humiliated and ashamed, and ever since I’ve replayed that day in my head, wondering what I could or should have done differently.
“On that day, fear asserted its dominance. I felt its claws deep in my heart, urging me to run with my tail between my legs and never to look back. I saw it in my former colleagues, too afraid to talk to me or even, in some cases, to look at me. I heard it every time the ones who did speak to me told me how powerless they felt to do anything to stop or undo what had happened, even though they knew it was wrong.
“Fear wants to rule us. It closes our minds, our hearts, and our horizons. It makes us small, sad and hopeless.
“But today, we are fighting fear. This long-awaited hearing is an opportunity to put fear in its place below us. Over the next five weeks we will face fear and show that we refuse to be silenced by it. In spite of fear, we will stand up proudly, speak our truth, and demand a better industry—a better world—that we all deserve.
“And we’re not just fighting fear in the courtroom. Many of my former colleagues at Rockstar Games have taken up the union’s flag and are now pushing for the recognition, protection, and power that fear has denied them for too long. Fear will not defeat them and it will not defeat us. Union makes us strong.”
The hearing is set to run until October 16, just over a month ahead of the console release of Grand Theft Auto 6, which happens on November 19. The union and fired workers are asking people not to boycott the game, saying in August that “we spent years pouring our hard work, skill, and creativity into making GTA, and we want people to experience the universe that we helped build.” Instead, supporters who want to do a solid for the cause are encouraged to contribute to a fundraising campaign launched by the IWGB in support of the legal action against Rockstar.
In a statement provided to PC Gamer, Rockstar reiterated its defense on the matter. ““Rockstar Games’ position has been clear and consistent throughout,” a Rockstar representative said. “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.”