Fired Rockstar Developers Tell Fans: Don't Boycott GTA 6 — Help Us Win Justice Instead

A group of former Grand Theft Auto 6 developers fired from Rockstar Games have released a video with an unusual plea: don't boycott the game they helped build.

The video, posted on YouTube by the Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain (IWGB), delivers its message plainly. "Don't boycott GTA 6," the fired developers say. "Win justice for the people who helped make it." (GameSpot)

The workers are urging supporters to buy a custom t-shirt instead, with proceeds going toward supporting the fired employees and their legal case.

The dispute dates back to 30 October 2025, when 31 Rockstar employees at the studio's UK office were dismissed without warning or explanation, according to the workers. All 31 were members of the IWGB and had been helping organise a studio-wide union at Rockstar — the studio behind the Grand Theft Auto series, one of the best-selling video game franchises in the world. (GameSpot)

The fired workers accuse Rockstar of union busting — the illegal practice of punishing employees for organising collectively. Rockstar denies that the firings had anything to do with union membership or activity. The company alleges the employees were dismissed for gross misconduct, specifically leaking confidential company information — including game features for upcoming and unannounced titles — in a public forum. (GameSpot; IGN)

The legal fight is now moving forward. A preliminary tribunal — an early-stage hearing in the UK employment court system — upheld the workers' right to bring blacklisting allegations against Rockstar. A blacklisting claim alleges that an employer secretly kept or used a list of workers who engaged in union activity to discriminate against them. The full trial is set to begin on 10 September. (GameSpot)

Meanwhile, anticipation for GTA 6 itself continues to build. Take-Two Interactive, Rockstar's parent company, has called the game's preorder numbers "unprecedented" but declined to reveal specific figures, citing concern that publishing them could be "misleading." (GameSpot)

The fired developers' message draws a sharp line between the game and the people who made it. Rather than asking fans to skip what is likely to be one of the biggest entertainment releases of the decade, they are asking players to direct their energy toward holding Rockstar accountable — through a tribunal, not a boycott.

For fans, that means the choice is not between buying the game or standing with workers. The workers themselves are saying you can do both.