The ongoing saga surrounding the fired Rockstar Games employees has taken a new turn, as the workers themselves are urging fans not to boycott the highly anticipated GTA 6. Instead, they’re asking for direct support through alternative means, highlighting a more effective way to stand in solidarity and hold Rockstar accountable.
A Better Way to Show Support
With the final hearing in the legal battle against Rockstar looming next month in Glasgow, and GTA 6 still slated for release in November 2026, the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) has launched a campaign centered around specially designed T-shirts. These shirts are intended to raise funds to support the workers’ legal fight.
Rockstar maintains that the employees were dismissed for leaking confidential information about upcoming and unannounced titles on Discord, not for attempting to unionize. The company also points to its strict policy against leaks, citing previous instances of employee termination for similar offenses. This includes a Lincoln-based employee fired in April 2025 and others terminated in the U.S. (November 2023) and India (November 2025). When Rockstar officially announced that GTA 6 would be delayed by six months to November 19, 2026, the market value of Take-Two plummeted $3.75 billion in a single day.
Jack Hoxby, an IWGB Game Workers Branch member who was fired by Rockstar last year, stated: “We poured years of our lives into helping build this game. We don’t want you to boycott it. We want you to help us fight for justice.” He further emphasized the outpouring of support received from gamers and workers worldwide and urged fans to consider purchasing a T-shirt as a more impactful way to show solidarity.
“By buying one of our T-shirts, you’ll be helping to win justice for us and to defend the right of workers everywhere to come together and unionise. That way, when GTA 6 comes out in November, you can enjoy it knowing that you had the backs of the people who made it.”
While a full-blown boycott might not have significantly impacted GTA 6’s projected sales success (given Take-Two’s already boasting about “unprecedented” preorders), the IWGB aims to maintain its presence in the public eye as the crucial final hearing approaches.
In June, Rockstar developers applied for voluntary recognition of the IWGB Game Workers Union in a bid to make the celebrated developer the second UK games studio with a recognized union. If recognized, the union would provide its members with additional protections and rights through a formal structure for collective bargaining on issues including pay transparency, flexible working, and excessive overtime (crunch). Disco Elysium developer ZA/UM is currently the only UK studio with formal union recognition.
The IWGB claims to represent a “significant portion” of the Rockstar workforce across its offices in Edinburgh, Dundee, Lincoln, Leeds, and London. The union also attributes average pay rises and financial incentives for crunch to its existence. GTA 6 Doesn’t Have a Disc and Locks Shops Behind Ultimate Edition. Why?
A spokesperson from Rockstar Games issued IGN the following statement at the time: “We strive to make the best games possible by giving our talented teams world-class work environments and ongoing career opportunities. We have fostered a culture which is focused on teamwork, excellence, and kindness, and where we support and reward the team across all levels of the business through competitive compensation and benefits policies. We are proud that as a result, our employee retention is well above the industry standard.”
“We have received a request from a union seeking to discuss voluntary recognition. We value an open and constructive dialogue with all stakeholders and will arrange to meet.”
Rockstar can refuse to acknowledge the union, which would then open the door for the IWGB to submit its application for statutory recognition from the Department for Business and Trade’s Central Arbitration Committee (CAC). However, could its members go on strike? The IWGB told IGN “members will decide on the organising strategy they use to secure” recognition.
Source: IGN Gaming
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