Key facts
- Rockstar Games denies firing 31 employees for trade union activity.
- The company states the dismissals were for gross misconduct related to sharing confidential information.
- A former employee believes staff were placed on a "watch list" after signing a remote work petition.
- The employees involved were working on Grand Theft Auto VI, set for release on November 19.
- The case centers on a Discord forum used by approximately 300 Rockstar employees.
A former employee of Rockstar Games, the maker of Grand Theft Auto, has told an employment tribunal that he believes staff were placed on a "watch list" after signing a petition concerning remote working. Dayne Oram testified that he thought the company began monitoring a group of workers after the petition was submitted to leadership in 2023.
Rockstar Games disputes these claims, asserting that Oram and his colleagues were dismissed for gross misconduct due to the sharing of confidential company information, not for trade union activity or membership. The employees involved were contributing to the development of Grand Theft Auto VI, which is scheduled for release on November 19 and is anticipated to be a major launch in the gaming industry.
The tribunal's proceedings are heavily focused on information shared within a Discord forum used by approximately 300 Rockstar employees. Oram, who helped establish and moderate the forum, stated that discussions could become heated. Thomas Cordrey, representing Rockstar, highlighted forum rules that require professional conduct, suggesting they were frequently breached.
Oram acknowledged that he might have moderated some discussions differently in hindsight but indicated that the moderators aimed not to "over-police" the channel. He reiterated his belief in a link between the remote working petition signatories and the subsequent firings in 2025, although Cordrey questioned this, noting that most petition signers were not dismissed. In total, 34 Rockstar workers were dismissed last year, with 31 based in Scotland participating in the tribunal, represented by the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain.