THE EVER-PRESENT SPECTRE looming over the games industry in recent years is layoffs. In 2024, over 15,000 employees were reportedly laid off worldwide. In 2025 the total reached over 9,000, which is being celebrated as a measure of healing, like only losing three fingers compared to the whole hand.
In October 2025, Rockstar Games, best known for hit series Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption, laid off 34 employees across their UK and Canada offices citing “gross misconduct.” Days later, the industry veteran delayed the upcoming Grand Theft Auto VI to November 19th, 2026, the second delay the upcoming title has suffered.
Shortly after the layoffs, the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) accused Rockstar of “the most ruthless and blatant example of illegal union busting in the history of the games industry.” This “unacceptable and unlawful” behaviour has resulted in the IWGB issuing a legal claim against Rockstar after the latter refused to meet with the former.
The employees who were laid off were in the process of making a new union, The Rockstar Games Workers Union, to push for better working conditions ahead of GTA VI’s release.
Laying off 30+ employees aside, the fact that Rockstar refused to meet with the IWGB is frankly astonishing. It’s just about the furthest thing from a good look that they could have put together.
But it doesn’t matter though, does it? Rockstar is a company that is too big to fail. GTA V made a billion dollars in the first week of its release and nearly nine billion more since. So long as games keep making money, the rights and livelihoods of a few dozen developers here and there don’t seem to factor in for the industry giant.
They aren’t the only ones. Back in July, Microsoft laid off 9000 employees, 4% of its workforce and the fourth mass layoff by the tech giant in 18 months, many of whom were from its gaming division. And again, any outcry and legal challenge is squashed by dollar signs.
Their excuse?
“Choices for continued future success.” How very moustache-twiddlingly sinister.
Isn’t GTA VI’s delay coming mere days after just perfect, too? The layoffs are no longer the big news surrounding Rockstar; now it’s comment sections filled with ‘why are you delaying it again?’ along with ‘I could have been playing the game already!’ and ‘make those devs work harder! Whip them!’
On January 5th, the former Rockstar employees had the preliminary hearing before a judge at the Glasgow Tribunals Centre, where they were denied any interim relief as the IWGB-Rockstar case goes to tribunal. Just the star on top.
Industry layoffs aren’t going anywhere any time soon. But this is a clear inflection point. Thankfully, organisations like the IWGB exist that will not stand for injustices like that which has demolished the lives of nearly three dozen people, and many thousands more besides.
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