Rockstar's UK staff vote on their union November 12–26, right as GTA 6 launches
Rockstar's UK staff will vote November 12–26 on whether the IWGB union should represent them. Voting opens two days into the GTA 6 preload and is still open on launch day.
- Vote
- NOV 12-26
- Union
- IWGB
- UK studios
- 5
- GTA 6 launch
- NOV 19
Rockstar’s UK workers will vote November 12–26 on whether the IWGB union should represent them in talks with the company. Voting opens on the 12th, two days after GTA 6 preload begins, and is still open on November 19, when the game comes out. If it passes, it would be the largest recognized union in the UK video game industry. Kotaku 3DJuegos
Who votes and what’s at stake
The vote covers staff at Rockstar’s five UK studios: Edinburgh, Dundee, Leeds, Lincoln and London. The question is whether Rockstar recognizes the IWGB as their bargaining representative. The result only applies to the UK workforce; the rest of Rockstar’s 5,000-plus employees worldwide aren’t included. 3DJuegos
What they want to negotiate
Worker representatives have been meeting with management since July. They first asked Rockstar to recognize the union voluntarily, and the process ended up going to a vote. A recognition deal could cover pay and bonuses, overtime, layoffs, flexible working and generative AI policies. Kotaku
The case over 31 firings is still open
The vote comes while an employment tribunal is still running. In October 2025 Rockstar fired 31 people involved in the union effort, and union members call it union busting. Rockstar says they were dismissed for “gross misconduct, and for no other reason,” and later said they had discussed company secrets in an external channel. Closing submissions are expected on November 17 and 18, and the vote doesn’t settle that case. Kotaku
Does this change anything for GTA 6’s launch?
Nothing reported so far points to a date change. The vote is about recognizing the union for bargaining, and November 19 is still GTA 6’s official release date on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. Rockstar hasn’t commented on the vote. The full countdown is in the GTA 6 release date guide.
Sources
3DJuegos — Rockstar’s UK staff vote during the GTA 6 launch (October 28, 2026, in Spanish)
Last verified: October 28, 2026.