Grand Theft Auto 6's developer, Rockstar Games, has reportedly fired between 30-40 of its workers. The exact reason why the employees were fired is currently being debated, with the statements from the ex- Rockstar Games workers and Take-Two Interactive at odds with each other.
The game industry has had a tumultuous year, and it's not over yet. Just days prior to this Rockstar Games news arriving, Amazon announced it would be cutting 14,000 positions in its company, while Microsoft has slashed thousands of jobs over the course of the year. They aren't the only two, however, as this has been a widespread trend across the video game industry, and now Rockstar Games is adding to the list.
GTA 6 Isn't the Only Game Rockstar Is Working On
While many fans have assumed that Rockstar's top priority is Grand Theft Auto 6, new information suggests the studio is also developing other titles.
Rockstar Games Fires Workers, But the Reason is Debated
News has broken that Rockstar Games laid off between 30 and 40 staffers across its offices in the UK and Canada on October 30. Take-Two Interactive, Rockstar Games' parent company, has claimed that the firings were due to "gross misconduct" and that it supports Rockstar's decision to fire the workers. However, that claim is being disputed by the Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain, IWGB. According to the president of the IWGB, Alex Marshall, all the fired Rockstar Games workers were either part of a union or attempting to organize, and also belonged to a trade union group on the Discord chat platform. Marshall stated that the firings were a "flagrant contempt for the law" and a "blatant and ruthless act of union busting."
While Rockstar and Take-Two claim it's not about unions, this isn't the first time that major developers and publishers in the industry have been accused of such. Companies like Activision Blizzard and Nintendo have faced such allegations before, though some have been proven to be false. When Dragon Age: The Veilguard was in development, all the QA testers belonging to a union who were working on Dragon Age were laid off. They were notably the first Canadian game industry union to exist.
Unfortunately, regardless of why these game developers were fired, they're far from the first of 2025, and likely won't be the last before the year comes to a close. Everything from a changing market to COVID-era overhiring have been blamed for the recent firings, and one of developers' latest concerns is the use of AI in game development. Many have speculated that AI may be used to take over some responsibilities and roles within game development studios as the technology progresses, potentially axing even more jobs in 2026 and beyond.
- Date Founded
- December 22, 1998
- Headquarters
- New York, New York, United States
- CEO
- Sam Houser
- Parent Company
- Take-Two Interactive
- Subsidiaries
- Rockstar North, Rocksteady Studios, Rockstar India, Rockstar Lincoln
- Known For
- Grand Theft Auto
Source: Bloomberg