Last week, we learned that more than 30 Rockstar Games employees had been fired. A report stated that the individuals concerned were attempting to unionize at the time of their dismissal. For its part, the starry studio referred to “serious misconduct”.
Rockstar has now provided further details in a statement sent to Bloomberg. In its press release, the studio behind GTA accuses the former employees of leaking confidential company information.
“Last week, we took disciplinary action against a small number of individuals who were posting and discussing confidential information on a public forum, in violation of our internal rules. This had nothing to do with anyone’s right to join a union or participate in union activities.”
Alex Marshall, president of the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain, rejected this version, stating that Rockstar engaged in anti-union activities.
“(Rockstar) feared that its hard-working employees would privately discuss exercising their rights to a fairer workplace and a collective voice. Management is showing that it doesn’t care about the delays to GTA 6 and is prioritizing union busting by specifically targeting the people who create the game.”
It’s always tough to hear about layoffs, especially in a creative industry like gaming. Transparency and communication are crucial during such challenging times, and I hope everyone affected finds new opportunities soon.
I completely agree; layoffs can be really challenging for everyone involved. It’s interesting to see how transparency plays such a crucial role in maintaining trust between companies and their employees, especially in creative fields where collaboration is key. Hopefully, Rockstar can rebuild that trust moving forward.