Rockstar has suffered a legal defeat as the ongoing dispute surrounding its October 2025 firing of 31 union members proceeds toward final trial. In a preliminary hearing, a UK employment tribunal has ruled against the studio, which sought to narrow the scope of its upcoming trial by seeking to have accusations of blacklisting struck from the case being brought against it.
By upholding the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain’s right to present its claims of Rockstar’s alleged blacklisting—the unlawful compiling of a discriminatory list of union workers and activists—the ruling ensures that every one of the IWGB’s accusations regarding alleged Rockstar union-busting can proceed to trial on behalf of the 31 dismissed union members. Alongside the ruling came the dates for Rockstar’s days in court: The final trial will begin on September 10 and run to October 15, ending barely over a month before the launch of GTA 6.
In an IWGB statement, Ellie Dunstan—one of the workers fired during Rockstar’s alleged union-busting—called the ruling “a huge moment.”
“Rockstar thought they could control the narrative,” Dunstan said. “They’re wrong, and we look forward to proving it. Our case will now be heard in full and put to the test as it should be.”
Since Rockstar’s abrupt October 2025 dismissal of over 30 workers and developers in the UK and Canada—all of whom were either union members or pursuing workplace organization—the studio has faced both internal and external scrutiny.
Within days of the firings, IWGB-organized protests coalesced outside of Take-Two and Rockstar offices in London and Edinburgh. IWGB initiated formal legal action against the studio soon after, while over 200 Rockstar employees delivered letters to company management demanding the reinstatement of the fired union members.
Before long, the escalating dispute had gained Parliament’s attention, with Edinburgh West MP Christine Jardine beseeching fellow Ministers to “support workers who have lost their jobs, and stop this from happening again.” By mid-December, even Prime Minister Keir Starmer was calling it “a deeply concerning case.”
Spring McParlin-Jones, Chair of the IWGB Game Workers Branch, said this week’s tribunal ruling is a setback for Rockstar’s efforts to skirt accountability, which have continued “from the moment employees were escorted from their buildings without warning, and throughout every subsequent stage of the legal proceedings.”
“The decision strengthens our case at a critical time as we prepare for the final stage of this David versus Goliath legal battle, which could shape the future of union rights across the games industry and beyond,” McParlin-Jones said.
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