Rockstar workers seek union recognition before GTA VI release
Staff at the Grand Theft Auto VI studio are asking Rockstar to recognize the IWGB Game Workers Union as a tribunal hearing nears.
By James Whitfield · Staff Writer
2 min read
Rockstar Games workers have asked the company to voluntarily recognize the IWGB Game Workers Union, according to a union press release. The request brings a long-running labor campaign at the Grand Theft Auto VI developer into public view months before the game’s planned November launch.
The IWGB said its members at Rockstar have been organizing since 2019. The union said it now represents “a significant proportion” of workers across Rockstar’s sites in Edinburgh, Dundee, Lincoln, Leeds and London.
The recognition request follows a dispute over Rockstar’s firing of more than 30 employees last year. The dismissals were accused of being union busting, according to The Verge, and a final employment tribunal hearing over the firings is scheduled to begin in September.
Rockstar is preparing to release Grand Theft Auto VI on November 19. The company announced last week that the game will start at $79.99 and opened preorders, according to The Verge.
Union cites pay, flexibility and crunch
The IWGB said the organizing effort has already coincided with changes at Rockstar. According to the union, the company has introduced average pay increases and, for the first time, financial incentives tied to crunch work.
The union said it wants formal recognition to pursue clearer pay information, stronger flexible-working arrangements and better protections around crunch. Rockstar has faced scrutiny over crunch before, including during the development of Red Dead Redemption 2, according to The Verge.
Crunch, a term used in the games industry for intense overtime during production, has been one of the central labor issues for developers. The IWGB’s request places that issue directly alongside the release of one of the industry’s most closely watched games.
Rockstar owner Take-Two did not immediately respond to The Verge’s request for comment. Rockstar has not publicly responded to the union recognition request in the reporting cited.
Part of a broader games labor push
The Rockstar effort comes as more game workers seek collective bargaining. Double Fine employees filed a petition to unionize in May, according to The Verge.
Workers at Raven Software, an Activision studio, secured their first union contract last year, The Verge reported. The Raven effort was among the best-known union campaigns in the games business and helped bring more attention to labor organizing across the field.
For Rockstar workers, the next steps turn on whether management voluntarily recognizes the IWGB Game Workers Union or the dispute moves through other legal and organizing channels. The September tribunal hearing over last year’s firings is set to arrive shortly before Grand Theft Auto VI reaches players.
This story draws on original reporting from The Verge.