While GTA 6 launches, more than 1,600 Rockstar employees in the UK are deciding whether their union gets formal recognition. Bloomberg's Jason Schreier called it the company's other big release this month.
Schreier posted on X on November 13 that the road to this vote had been "long" and "twisty". Rockstar has not announced the ballot publicly, though its head of publishing did speak to Bloomberg (more on that below).
Nearly everyone below director level gets a ballot
Voting opened on November 12 and closes on November 26, so it runs straight through GTA 6's November 19 launch. According to The Register, almost all UK staff below director level are eligible.
The question is whether Rockstar formally recognises the Rockstar Game Workers Union, a branch of the IWGB. The proposed agreement came out of four months of talks and covers pay, overtime, pensions, bonuses and leave, plus consultation rights on HR policies and AI. A yes vote would create the largest recognised union in the UK games industry.
For scale, Bloomberg figures cited by Insider Gaming put Rockstar at more than 4,700 employees across 12 locations worldwide. Blizzard's US union, by comparison, has about 1,900 members.
The tribunal over 31 dismissed members is still running
In October 2025 Rockstar fired 31 union members in the UK. The IWGB calls it union busting and says the staff were singled out over a private Discord group. Rockstar denies this and says they were dismissed for gross misconduct involving confidential information. Closing submissions at the employment tribunal are expected on November 17 and 18.
SAG-AFTRA and the Communications Workers of America, which represents Blizzard staff, have backed the campaign. Rockstar head of publishing Jennifer Kolbe told Schreier the company will accept the result:
"We go where the team goes. So if they want a union, they will have a union."
