Rockstar Staff Threaten Strike Ahead of GTA 6 Release

Developers at Rockstar Games are pushing for formal union recognition and have warned they could hold a strike before Grand Theft Auto 6 ships on Nov. 19 if the company does not voluntarily accept the union.

Organizers include employees who worked on GTA 6 along with staff from other teams and roles across Rockstar’s studios. Developers say work on the game is continuing toward the scheduled release, and some staff have raised concerns about extended work hours as the deadline approaches.

Organizers are asking Rockstar to meet with them and formally recognize the union so they can negotiate collective bargaining agreements and workplace protections. They say they prefer voluntary recognition but will pursue legal remedies or workplace actions, including possible strike activity, if management refuses before the game launches.

The union drive follows the firing of 31 employees in October 2025. Company officials maintain the dismissals were disciplinary and related to the distribution of confidential information in a public forum. Employees who were let go contend every person dismissed was a union member and accuse the company of targeting organizers; the company has denied those allegations and described them as inaccurate.

Jordan Garland, one of the dismissed employees, urged Rockstar to recognize the union and meet with organizers, calling for the meeting to “make it a celebration of people who make the games possible.” Garland framed the effort as a bid to prevent similar firings in the future across the industry.

Shanti Easton-Steel, a production coordinator at Rockstar North in Edinburgh, praised current and former colleagues for their work and wrote that their efforts have put the team in a position to seek formal recognition. Easton-Steel added that “it’s painful that our dismissed colleagues are not here to share this milestone moment” and said winning recognition would honor their contributions.

Organizers say formal recognition would create clear channels for collective bargaining and provide rights and protections for union members and representatives. They set a deadline tied to the Nov. 19 release and say limited time means they may escalate actions if talks do not begin.

Rockstar has reiterated that it has no public plans to voluntarily recognize a union and maintains the firings were disciplinary. The organizers’ stated willingness to strike places pressure on the developer to either engage with the union drive or prepare for potential industrial action in the weeks ahead.