THE CRUNCH
The employment tribunal between Rockstar Games and IWGB union members laid off from the studio will now run into November. The case had been due to conclude this Friday, but questioning of witnesses has run long, so the courts have pushed the closing submission dates back. Both sides' legal representatives will present their closing arguments to the judge on 17 and 18 November, with a final verdict to follow. That puts the hearings one day before Grand Theft Auto 6's release on 19 November.
The extension was granted for several reasons, most notably a request from Rockstar's lawyers for additional time to cross-examine some of the laid-off employees. The IWGB is continuing to cross-examine Rockstar witnesses this week in what the union describes as an eye-opening and lengthy process.
The tribunal stems from the sudden dismissal of more than 30 Rockstar employees in late 2025 for alleged gross misconduct, all of whom had been present in a union Discord channel. The IWGB alleges the firings were an effort at union-busting, while Rockstar says they were due to the unauthorised sharing of information. Last Friday, one of the heads of Rockstar Lincoln said he was disinterested in evidence of efforts to unionise before the dismissals, saying he was focused on other matters such as the formation of a union Twitter account.
As one of the landmark legal cases in UK games industry history, the outcome could shape the sector for some time. Whether the timing helps or hurts either side is unclear: attention around the game's launch could draw more eyes to the case, or drown it out.