Union clash erupts over GTA 6 game firings

If you thought the biggest firefight at Rockstar would stay on screen, think again. The studio behind Grand Theft Auto has fired 34 developers, sparking a dispute over whether they leaked secrets or simply talked about their jobs in the wrong place.

The Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain calls the move classic union busting, while Rockstar insists it is enforcing company rules, not targeting organizers. Caught in the middle are dozens of people out of work, a pressured studio, and a GTA 6 game grinding toward release under a cloud of mistrust.

Slack purge, GTA 6 leaks

In 2025, Rockstar overhauled its internal Slack, deleting social channels for pets, hobbies, and game chatter in what staff nicknamed a Slack purge. Then came tighter rules on reactions and statuses, plus the quiet removal of a seedling emoji that had become a subtle sign of solidarity with laid-off colleagues.

The flashpoint came when an email about the new rules was copied into a private union Discord. Management called that a breach of security and, after an investigation, 34 staff were dismissed. In a studio still haunted by the massive GTA 6 leaks in 2022, leaders frame this as essential security backed by an official statement about confidential information shared in a public forum, not union activity official statement.

Studio culture at a crossroads

Union organizers say almost a tenth of the company's UK staff had just joined their ranks when many of the same workers suddenly lost their jobs. That timing, plus the focus on a union-managed Discord, has pushed the group to file a formal union claim accusing Rockstar of victimizing organizers and sending a message that speaking up is dangerous.

Inside the studio, remaining employees now have to decide how loudly they talk about crunch, pay, or diversity when a casual emoji can feel like evidence. That chill never appears on marketing slides, but it shapes who stays, who burns out, and who walks away from the next big project.

For players waiting for the GTA game or even GTA 6 leaks, the fight is a reminder that those glossy crime sprees are built by people with rent, visas, and families, not just lines of code. If the clash ends with organizers sidelined, the loudest message from Rockstar may be that the only risks it truly backs are the fictional ones.