A UK employment tribunal has refused Rockstar Games’ request to have allegations of ‘blacklisting’ removed in the case brought against it by fired workers, represented by the IWGB Game Workers union.
Eurogamer reports that the Grand Theft Auto giant had asked that this claim be removed from its upcoming trial, though no reason has been given publicly for this. Blacklisting is when companies keep a record of union members, activists or health and safety reps in order to use this status against them in recruitment and management decisions.
Trial dates have also been set for the final case; this will start on September 10 and close by October 15.
The case started when Rockstar Games fired 34 staff in the UK and Canada for “gross misconduct” in October 2025. The fired workers were members of the IWGB Game Workers, causing the organisation to accuse the Grand Theft Auto firm of union-busting.
Rockstar responded by claiming that the affected workers had leaked “confidential information”, though reporting by People Make Games claimed that this information was in fact workers discussing studio Slack policies in “a closed, invite-only Discord” server.
Responding to the matter in Parliament, UK Prime Minister Kier Starmer said this was a “deeply concerning case”.
Formal legal claims were filed against Rockstar by IWGB in November.
“This ruling is a huge moment for us,” Ellie Dunstan, a worker fired by Rockstar last October, 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. We loved our work at Rockstar. Losing our passion, our colleagues and our incomes in the blink of an eye was devastating, and the company management has treated us with disdain ever since, refusing to grant us appeals or respond to basic evidence requests.
“After months of fighting to have our voices heard, this is a moment to celebrate. The judgment shows that even against a company with Rockstar’s resources, workers can stand together and demand accountability. This fight has always been about more than just our own situation – it is about making sure workers across the games industry and beyond have the right to stand together, speak out, and organise for a fairer sector.”
IWGB Game Workers’ chair Spring McParlin-Jones added: “The tribunal has refused to let Rockstar off the hook, finding that serious factual questions remain about how these workers were identified, listed and dismissed – questions that must now be tested at a full hearing.
“From the moment employees were escorted from their buildings without warning, and throughout every subsequent stage of the legal proceedings, Rockstar has 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. Gamers all over the world have seen through these tactics, and now a tribunal has also cast doubt on Rockstar’s version of events.”
