Rockstar Games will appear before the Glasgow Employment Tribunal on Thursday, September 10, over claims brought by the Independent Workers of Great Britain (IWGB) alleging it unlawfully dismissed 31 workers.
IWGB says the dismissals, which took place in October 2025, were based on unlawful reasoning and carried out through improper procedures.
Its claim also accuses Rockstar of targeting workers involved in union activity and compiling lists of their names, a practice commonly referred to as blacklisting.
The union further alleges the company failed to follow disciplinary procedures or allow appeals.
Rockstar says it dismissed the employees over messages shared in a private union Discord channel, which it claims breached confidentiality agreements.
IWGB rejects that account, arguing the workers were dismissed in retaliation for their union activity.
Alex Marshall, president of the IWGB, said: “We believe Rockstar has tried to get away with Grand Theft Employment Rights.
“As the world gets its first proper look at GTA VI, this hearing will give people a chance to look behind the scenes at what happened to the workers who helped make it.”
Marshall said the case carried wider significance for workers across the UK.
He continued: “This is a moment to send a clear message: you have the right to join a union; that right is protected by law, and employers cannot punish you for exercising it.
“If Rockstar can get away with firing workers for organising, then every employer in Britain gets the message that they can do the same; we cannot let this happen.”
Scheduled to take place at Glasgow Tribunal Centre, Atlantic Quay, G2 8GT, the hearing will run from Thursday, September 10 until at least Thursday, October 15.
The workers are seeking reinstatement or, failing that, compensation, along with a tribunal ruling that their dismissals were unfair.
Rockstar previously attempted to have the blacklisting allegations removed from the union’s claim, but a judge rejected the application.
Jason Lewis, a former Rockstar employee and IWGB member, said: “For almost a year, the truth about what happened to us has been buried by Rockstar and surrounded by speculation; now we finally get a chance to put it on the record.
“We have fought tooth and nail to get to this point, not just to win for ourselves, but to draw a line in the sand for any employer that thinks it can attack workers for unionising.
Lewis said the journey has been tough and is still ongoing, but the workers now believe they are close to a solution.
The dismissal was “heartbreaking” as he and his team dedicated years to developing GTA VI.
He added: “We lost our jobs, income, community and the chance to see the game through to release after spending years helping to build it.
“It was devastating.”
Rockstar Games and its parent company, Take-Two Interactive, have been approached for comment at the time of publication.