UK Prime Minister orders review of Rockstar’s GTA VI layoffs

A controversy over mass layoffs at Rockstar Games, affecting part of the GTA VI development team, has reached UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Starmer has instructed government ministers to review the situation after MPs raised concerns about potential violations of labour rights. On 30 October, Rockstar dismissed 34 employees across its UK and Canadian studios, citing “the spread of confidential information.”

However, the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) claims the real reason was the workers’ participation in a private union chat and their attempt to organise internally. The union has described Rockstar’s actions as anti-union retaliation.

During a parliamentary session, Starmer was asked whether he agreed that every company, regardless of size or profit, must comply with labour law and respect workers’ right to organise. He called the situation “deeply concerning” and stressed that freedom of association is a fundamental right. The Prime Minister confirmed that the government will examine the incident separately.

Following the dismissals, protests were held outside Rockstar and parent company Take-Two offices. IWGB says it will push for reinstatement of the affected employees, including taking the case to court if needed. The pressure increased further after 220 Rockstar North employees publicly expressed support for their dismissed colleagues.

The situation has already become one of the most significant labour disputes in the games industry in recent years and may force Rockstar to revisit its internal practices under scrutiny from UK authorities.