An employment tribunal in the UK denied Rockstar Games’ request to remove blacklisting claims from a legal dispute involving union busting allegations. The ruling means all allegations of union blacklisting against the game developer will be heard at trial from September 10 to October 15, 2026 [1, 2].
In October 2025, Rockstar fired around 30 employees who were union members. The company cited gross misconduct or leaking confidential information as the reason for the dismissals [1, 2]. The Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain (IWGB) called the firings “one of the most blatant acts of union busting in games industry history” [1]. Over 200 Rockstar North employees signed a letter condemning the dismissals, while UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the firings as "deeply concerning" [1].
Blacklisting refers to the illegal practice of discriminating against workers due to their trade union membership or activism [1, 2]. The fired staff had earlier been denied interim relief allowing them to return to work with their visas during the ongoing legal process [2].
Ellie Dunstan, representing the developers, said, "Rockstar thought they could control the narrative. They're wrong, and we look forward to proving it. Our case will now be heard in full and put to the test as it should be. The world will get to see for itself the evidence as to what happened last October" [1, 2].
Spring McParlin-Jones added that Rockstar had "attempted to avoid accountability—denying workers a fair hearing, failing to engage with basic evidence requests, and now attempting to limit scrutiny of the allegations brought against them". She said the tribunal found that "serious factual questions remain about how these workers were identified, listed and dismissed—questions that must now be tested at a full hearing" [2].
The firing of unionized employees sparked an outcry in November 2025, including a letter from more than 200 staff and parliamentary attention [1]. The upcoming tribunal trial will be the next major step in resolving the dispute over the union blacklisting allegations.
