Rockstar Games’ union could top 1,600 workers

October 29, 2026 - 18:58

Workers at Grand Theft Auto maker Rockstar Games will vote next month on whether to form one of the largest video game unions in the world. Organizers with the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain said a successful vote would create the biggest recognized union in the UK games sector.

The bargaining unit would cover more than 1,600 workers, nearly all roles at Rockstar's UK studios below director level. The union would not represent Rockstar's entire global workforce, which includes large teams in the United States and India. The company has over 4,700 staff across 12 locations worldwide, with much of that workforce focused on developing Grand Theft Auto VI, led by the Edinburgh team.

For comparison, the union at Microsoft-owned Blizzard has around 1,900 members and recently negotiated its first contract with Microsoft.

The Rockstar vote is scheduled for November 12 to 26, overlapping with the release of Grand Theft Auto VI on the 19th. The path to unionization has faced obstacles. Rockstar management is the subject of an ongoing employment tribunal in Scotland over the firing last year of more than 30 workers who belonged to a union-related Discord. The workers allege union-busting, while the company says the dismissals were over potential security breaches. Tribunal hearings are set to conclude next month.

The IWGB says the terms of the recognition vote were agreed upon by workers and management and would give employees a say over pay, bonuses, overtime, redundancies, flexible working, and generative AI policies.