Rockstar UK staff seek formal union recognition, the IWGB said in a June 30 release

Rockstar developers in the UK are seeking formal recognition for their union, the Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain (IWGB) said in a June 30, 2026, press release, as reported by GamesRadar+. The group involved is the Rockstar Game Workers Union, part of the IWGB.

GamesRadar+ said that if the bid succeeds, Rockstar's staff would join ZA/UM, the studio behind Disco Elysium, as one of the first formally recognised games industry unions in the UK. It also noted that Rockstar was accused of union busting in 2025 after it fired 31 workers involved in union activity, and that the legal dispute between Rockstar and the IWGB over those workers is ongoing, with a final hearing set by the union's account for September 10 to October 15.

Shanti Easton-Steel, a production co-ordinator at Rockstar North, was quoted naming the group's key objectives as "pay transparency, fairer crunch practices and better flexible working arrangements." She called the step "a landmark moment" for the union and credited members, including those fired the previous October, for putting it in a position to seek formal recognition.

IWGB president Alex Marshall said GTA 6 "has reportedly already generated more than $3 billion in preorder sales" and that Rockstar bosses "can easily afford" to sit down with staff. GamesRadar+ pointed out that Rockstar has not revealed pre-order revenue, and that the $3 billion figure seems to come at least partly from analysts' estimates. Take-Two had not commented on that analysis.

The report did not include a response from Rockstar or Take-Two, and it was not known whether Rockstar would agree to recognise the union voluntarily.

Since then, Take-Two said on July 1 that it had received the request and "will arrange to meet." A vote on union recognition among Rockstar's UK staff runs from November 12 to 26.