Rockstar alleges data leak to fire employees

A Rockstar tried to contain the controversy surrounding the dismissal of more than 30 employees with an official statement, claiming that the layoffs were motivated by leaking confidential information on public forums. Rockstar's version is in direct conflict with the Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain (IWGB)'s position, which is a critical point for the company's image on the eve of its next financial report.

In a statement sent to journalist Jason Schreier from Bloomberg, Rockstar stated that they "took action against a small number of individuals who were identified as distributing and discussing confidential information in a public forum, in violation of company policies". The company emphasized that the decision "is not related to the right to join a union or participate in union activities".

However, all dismissed professionals were part of a closed group on Discord dedicated to union organization within Rockstar. According to the workers, the only participants who were not employees of the studio were union representatives.

The president of the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain, Alex Marshall, rebutted Rockstar, believing that the layoffs were motivated by fear of an organized labor movement. For Marshall, Rockstar would be prioritizing the fight against the union over the development of GTA VI:

“Management is showing that it doesn't care about delays in GTA VI and is prioritizing the fight against the union, targeting precisely the people who make the game.”

Alex Marshall believes that Rockstar's message is clear: to try to suffocate any initiative of unionization among developers. The controversy worsens at a delicate moment for Rockstar and its parent company, Take-Two Interactive, which will release its next financial report on November 6. The company has not yet responded to additional questions about the accusations of union retaliation.

Rockstar claims to have dismissed more than 30 employees for "distributing and discussing confidential information in a public forum", denying the connection with unionization. However, all dismissed employees were part of a closed union group on Discord. The president of IWGB, Alex Marshall, accuses Rockstar of prioritizing the fight against the union and fears delays in GTA VI. The controversy arises before Take-Two Interactive's financial report on November 6.