Rockstar's UK staff vote on a union, right during the GTA 6 launch

While GTA 6 hits stores, inside Rockstar people are voting. From November 12 to 26, 2026 the studio’s UK staff decide whether to recognize the IWGB union: the two weeks cover the November 12 preload and the November 19 release.

What Rockstar says

Jennifer Kolbe, Rockstar’s head of publishing, told Game Developer that the studio follows the team’s wishes: if they want a union, they will have a union.

The case still open

The vote comes while another story is not over. In October 2025 Rockstar dismissed 31 employees who were part of the union group. The union calls it union busting; Rockstar maintains they were fired for “gross misconduct” and for sharing confidential information in an external channel. The case is before an employment tribunal in Scotland: we covered the hearings, including the alleged mole in the union’s Discord server, in our story on the Glasgow tribunal.

Why it matters to players too

For those waiting for GTA 6 the vote changes nothing right away: the game launches on November 19 regardless. It matters for what comes after. In the Bloomberg behind-the-scenes Rockstar admitted the overtime problem has not entirely gone away, and a recognized union would have a say precisely on overtime and workloads, that is, on how updates, GTA 6 Online and the next games get made. The story of how GTA 6 was made is in our Bloomberg behind-the-scenes.

In brief

• From November 12 to 26 Rockstar’s UK staff vote on recognizing the IWGB union.
• The deal would cover pay, overtime, redundancies, flexible working and the use of generative AI.
• It is not a strike: GTA 6 launches on November 19 regardless.
• Rockstar says that if the team wants a union, it will have one.
• The case over the 31 dismissals of 2025 is still open, with closing submissions on November 17 and 18.

Frequently asked questions

Can the union vote delay GTA 6?

No. It is a vote on recognizing the union, not a strike, and it does not concern the November 19 release date.

What changes if the union is recognized?

Employees would have a collective say on pay and bonuses, overtime, redundancies, flexible working and rules on generative AI.