Grand theft auto 6 developer Rockstar Games was accused of union busting after terminating the contracts of 30-40 employees, all of whom were allegedly involved in union activities. Rockstar claims they were fired for gross misconduct.
According to Bloombergthe developers, working in various industries and offices across Canada and the UK, were part of a private union chat group on Discord and were allegedly either already in the union or planning to organize within the company.
Take-Two spokesman Alan Lewis told Bloomberg that the developers were fired for “gross misconduct and for no other reason,” adding: “[Take-Two] I fully support[s] Rockstar's ambition and approach.”
“Rockstar has just committed one of the most outrageous and ruthless acts of union busting in the history of the gaming industry,” said Alex Marshall, president of the Independent Workers of Great Britain (IWGB).
“This blatant disregard for the law and the lives of the workers who make their billions is an insult to their fans and the global industry.”
Rockstar has not publicly commented on the layoffs or allegations of union busting.
Earlier this week Take-Two Interactive Boss Strauss Zelnick returned to the topic of AI, this time suggesting that the controversial technology could never create something like GTA 6 because “no creativity…can exist by definition in any AI model.”
