Rockstar union tribunal extended to November 17-18, near GTA VI launch

The UK employment tribunal between Rockstar Games and laid-off staff represented by the Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain (IWGB) has been extended into November. Closing arguments are now set for November 17 and 18, according to Eurogamer and Rock Paper Shotgun.

The case had been due to wrap up in late October. Eurogamer reports that one day after those new dates, GTA VI is released. Rock Paper Shotgun describes the timing as "just days ahead" of launch.

What we know

• The extension was first reported by journalist Chris Bratt on Bluesky, according to Rock Paper Shotgun.
• Eurogamer says witness questioning ran longer than planned. A key reason for the extension was a request from Rockstar's lawyers for more time to cross-examine some of the fired employees.
• Both outlets report that the IWGB is finishing its questioning of Rockstar leadership and witnesses.
• On November 17 and 18, both legal teams will present closing submissions to the judge.

The dispute centres on the dismissal of more than 30 Rockstar employees in late 2025 for alleged gross misconduct, Eurogamer reports. All of them were in a union Discord channel. The IWGB argues the firings were an attempt at union busting. Rockstar says they were about unauthorised sharing of confidential information on a server it considered insecure. Rock Paper Shotgun notes that IWGB lawyers dispute that account.

The tribunal has produced some notable testimony. Eurogamer reports that one of the heads of Rockstar Lincoln told the court he was not interested in evidence of unionising efforts in the run-up to the firings. He said he was focused instead on matters such as the creation of a union Twitter account.

Rock Paper Shotgun reports a further claim from the hearings: a junior employee allegedly passed information from the Discord server to HR director Charlie Kinloch for more than two and a half years. According to the outlet, that allegedly included word that union membership had passed the statutory threshold for legal recognition. The workers were fired less than two weeks later.

Rock Paper Shotgun also says workers have since organised the 10% membership needed to form a union.

What isn't confirmed yet

• When a ruling will arrive. Rock Paper Shotgun notes that the judge's decision will still be outstanding after closing arguments.
• Whether Rockstar broke the law in firing the staff. The cause of the dismissals remains disputed by both sides.
• What effect, if any, the overlap with GTA VI's launch will have on attention to the case. Eurogamer says it could go either way.