Well it is starting soon. Rockstar has to win this lawsuit.
The five-week hearing began 10 September in Glasgow and runs to 16 October. Thirty-four workers were fired across the UK and Canada last October, 31 of them union members.
The claimants' case
The lawsuit alleges Rockstar had someone inside the IWGB Discord from as early as February 2024, passing information to HR manager and co-studio operations director Charlie Kinloch.
They claim Rockstar flagged a sharp rise in union recruitment in October 2025, shortly before membership crossed the 10% threshold required for statutory recognition in the UK. The dismissals followed weeks later.
They workers stated they were fired without warning, escorted from the building, and given no specific allegations. Union server membership dropped sharply afterwards.
The IWGB stated "We will argue at the final hearing that Rockstar identified and targeted workers because of their trade union membership and activities, including through the use of a physical or mental blacklist."
Blacklisting is the more serious claim, and the one Rockstar tried to have struck out in June. The tribunal refused.
Rockstar's case
The studio described itself as "hypervigilant" about confidential information, pointing to the 2022 breach that put unfinished GTA 6 footage online. Its filing compares protecting game design to Apple or Coca-Cola guarding a formula.
On Discord, Rockstar describes three rooms of increasing size and openness. Room A was restricted to union committee members and specific working groups. Room B was open to any IWGB member. Room C, the largest, had roughly 350 members by October 2025, most anonymous.
Rockstar's allegation is that fired employees gave outsiders access to sensitive internal information in that third space, including former employees, competitors and a journalist.
The detail worth sitting with
Rockstar's own filing revealed that at the time of the dismissals it knew Rooms A and B existed, but "did not know who was in it or what happened in it." Room A stayed locked until the claimants were ordered to disclose its contents on 3 August 2026, nine months after.
The stakes
The IWGB is seeking reinstatement, back pay, and formal union recognition across Rockstar's UK studios. Labour MP Tracy Gilbert posted support on the opening day.
Other side stated "Rockstar Games' position has been clear and consistent throughout." Take-Two's earlier statement said workers were terminated "for gross misconduct, and for no other reason."
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