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Rockstar Games, the developer behind the Grand Theft Auto franchise, has denied monitoring employees' union activities or dismissing workers over their involvement in organized labor, as a U.K. employment tribunal examines the firing of 34 staff members amid development delays for Grand Theft Auto VI (GTA VI).
Robert Spampinato, Rockstar's vice president of human resources, rejected allegations that he had instructed managers to track union membership, telling the tribunal in Glasgow, Scotland, that the claims were "categorically not true."
The dispute centers on the October 2025 dismissals, which 23 former employees, most previously working at Rockstar North in Edinburgh, are challenging with support from the Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain (IWGB).
The IWGB alleges that Rockstar targeted employees because of their involvement in trade union activities, while the company maintains that the dismissals resulted from workers sharing confidential company information through Discord, an online messaging platform.
During the proceedings, the tribunal heard that an anonymous employee had passed details about union meetings and recruitment efforts to Rockstar's human resources managers.
Spampinato acknowledged that the information had helped management keep track of workplace grievances but denied that the company had attempted to interfere with union organizing or suppress employees' activities.
The hearing also brought up Rockstar's development difficulties with GTA VI, particularly when Spampinato was questioned about why the company had carried out the dismissals in October 2025 despite having access to some relevant information earlier.
Explaining the timing, Spampinato said Rockstar had been in "crisis mode" because development of the highly anticipated game was running behind schedule.
"We were in a moment when we knew we were running late on the development," he told the tribunal.
GTA VI is currently scheduled for release on Nov. 19, 2026, following two delays.
The employment tribunal proceedings are continuing, with the dispute over the circumstances surrounding the dismissals still unresolved.
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