WORLDTECHRockstar UK staff to vote on union recognition as GTA 6 launches
Staff at Rockstar Games' UK offices are scheduled to vote on recognising their branch of the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain, a ballot that falls in the same stretch as the release of Grand Theft Auto 6 on November 19. A legal case alleging union-busting at the developer is also expected to wrap up around the same time.
Ballot timing and what it would decide
According to a social media post from Bloomberg journalist Jason Schreier, workers at Rockstar's UK offices are reportedly scheduled to vote on recognising their branch of the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain from November 12 to November 26. The union announced the ballot on Bluesky, and the vote will be conducted anonymously online.
The ballot seeks to ratify a recognition deal that management and workers agreed during union meetings held over the past few months. According to the union, recognition would give workers a say over pay and bonuses, overtime, redundancies, flexible working arrangements and generative AI policies. If the vote succeeds, the Rockstar Game Workers Union would become the largest recognised union in the UK's games industry.
Background to the union drive
The union began to take shape in early 2026, following what it described as unfair firings at the company's UK offices. Rockstar has been in the news for this development as well as for the forthcoming game.
A separate legal case alleging union-busting at the developer is expected to hear closing arguments on November 17 or 18, shortly before GTA 6 goes on sale.
Open questions
- Will the ballot result be known before the GTA 6 launch on November 19?
- How will the outcome of the union-busting case affect the recognition process?