Former Rockstar Games developers dismissed from the company’s UK office on October 30, 2025, have asked Grand Theft Auto 6 players not to boycott the game. The 31 former employees, who belong to the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain, made the appeal in an IWGB video, according to reports from GameSpot and Eurogamer.
“Don’t boycott GTA 6,” the former developers said in the video. They urged supporters to help secure justice for the dismissed staff by purchasing custom campaign T-shirts, with the money intended to support the workers and their legal proceedings.
The dispute arrives as GTA 6 demand builds
The workers say they contributed to Grand Theft Auto 6 over several years before their dismissals. Their request places a labor dispute alongside the launch of one of the industry’s most closely watched releases, as Take-Two Interactive has described preorder demand for the game as unprecedented.
That makes the campaign more than a symbolic appeal to players. GTA 6 is expected to be a major commercial event for Take-Two and Rockstar, while the former staff are asking fans to direct some of that attention toward a fight over workplace organizing at the studio.
The IWGB says it is seeking voluntary recognition from Rockstar. The union and dismissed employees contend that the terminations were connected to efforts to organize a union at the company’s UK operation.
Rockstar disputes that account. The studio says it dismissed the employees for gross misconduct, including allegations that confidential company information had been shared publicly, and denies that union membership or activity caused the terminations.
A blacklisting case is scheduled for September
A preliminary tribunal has allowed the workers to pursue blacklisting claims against Rockstar. Their trial is scheduled to begin on September 10, giving the case a formal legal stage as the GTA 6 campaign seeks financial support.
It remains unresolved whether the former employees will prove that Rockstar engaged in union busting or blacklisting, and the final outcome of the proceedings is unknown. Take-Two has also not disclosed an exact GTA 6 preorder total, despite its description of demand as unprecedented.
