Skip to main content
News

Fired Rockstar workers don't want players boycotting Grand Theft Auto VI, even if they're not letting the developer off the hook

Instead of deciding not to buy the game in support of the union, the IWGB wants players to help win justice for the laid off employees.
Alex Hopley Editor UK 19 August 2026

The hype train is just about to leave the station for Grand Theft Auto VI, and when we've got our extended gameplay reveal next week, it's probable that the game will be nearly unstoppable if it wasn't already. If there was one thing that might have been able to sway some people from buying the game immediately, it could have been the protest of the fired Rockstar employees, who were let go at the tail end of last year for allegedly trying to unionise.

Those fired developers don't want you to boycott the game, though. They've put countless hours into making Grand Theft Auto VI the game that's going to break records and hopefully impress gamers the world over. Instead, what they'd like is support in their fight for justice as they head into a legal battle with Rockstar.

https://bsky.app/profile/iwgbunion.bsky.social/post/3mtdoh333b22w

The IWGB (Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain) has put out a new video on social media, asking that instead of not buying the game, you support the legal fees of the laid off employees as they head into the courtroom. The belief in their case is strong, and already a tribunal has ruled against Rockstar in letting the employees bring blacklisting claims into the courtroom. The proper court battle will kick off in September, where we'll also likely be in the thick of GTA VI marketing.

Editor UK Alex Hopley covered the video game industry for Gamereactor, from new announcements and launches to the business behind them. He also wrote on tech, film and entertainment, and his coverage wasn't tied to any one region.
Full profile Gamereactor author since 2023 · 9,411 published articles
Why trust Gamereactor
23 Editions Each with its own newsroom and its own scores.
1998 Publishing since Independently owned for the whole of it.
100% Hands-on Written from time with the game, never press material.
1–10 Network Score Every edition’s score, averaged and shown.