Rockstar Games workers to vote on unionization right as Grand Theft Auto VI

Bryant Francis,Senior Editor,GameDeveloper.com

October 27, 2026

schedule2 Min ReadImage via Rockstar Games/Take-Two Interactive

The Independent Worker's Union of Great Britain has announced that Rockstar Games employees will formally vote on union recognition next month, bringing a years-long union drive to a head and offering employees an opportunity to have a voice on topics like worker pay, overtime, layoffs, flexible working arrangements, and generative AI policies.

Workers will begin voting on November 12, 2026 and will have until November 26 to say "yay" or "nay" to the union. They'll be doing so shortly after Rockstar head of publishing Jennifer Koble commented on the union drive, saying "we go where the team goes. If they want a union, they will have a union."

The vote is taking place independently of an ongoing tribunal over Rockstar's 2025 decision to fire over 30 union employees for "gross misconduct," which the former employees and IWGB have characterized as union busting. Closing arguments for said tribunal will take place on November 17 and 18.

Both of these events land right around the release of Grand Theft Auto VI, the latest entry in the Grand Theft Auto series from Rockstar Games and Take-Two, which releases on November 19. Take-Two says it expects to earn $8 billion in revenue in fiscal year 2027, thanks in part to projected sales of the popular game.

Rockstar Game Workers Union Committee Member acknowledged the timing in a statement accompanying the news, saying that the company's workers have a chance to "make gaming history not once, but twice. As all our hard work, skill and creativity are experienced by GTA VI players for the first time, our voices will now be heard for the first time too."

"For me, this vote comes down to ensuring employees at Rockstar get honesty and openness surrounding the decisions that affect them," Easton-Steel said. "When management choices are kept hidden, we can’t properly address issues like the gender pay gap, the uneven and ever-changing policies on overtime pay, or the concerns many co-workers hold around job security post-release."

Top StoriesRockstar GamesTake-TwoLabor & Unionization

About the Author

Bryant Francis

Senior Editor, GameDeveloper.com

Bryant Francis is a writer, journalist, and narrative designer based in Boston, MA. He currently writes for Game Developer, a leading B2B publication for the video game industry. His credits include Proxy Studios' 4X strategy game Zephon, Iron Anchor Studios' Down With The Ship, and Amplitude Studio's 2017 game Endless Space 2.

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