adminThe Glasgow Employment Tribunal has rejected a request for Rockstar staff interim relief, meaning the dismissed workers will not return to the company’s payroll while they wait for a full hearing. The decision concerns the legal test for this temporary measure; it does not resolve the workers’ wider claims about why they were dismissed.
Image credit: Ross Greer/Scottish Greens
Why Rockstar staff interim relief was denied
The application was brought by the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) on behalf of former Rockstar employees. The tribunal said it could not conclude that the workers were likely to prove at a full hearing that their union membership was the principal reason for their dismissals.
Rockstar’s position was that the employees had been dismissed for sharing confidential information about the studio and the upcoming Grand Theft Auto 6 in a Discord server, rather than for efforts to organise a union. The affected workers disputed the company’s account. Their legal representative argued that no information had actually been leaked, although there may have been a risk of disclosure.
The judge also considered that three affected workers were based in Canada and were not IWGB members. The ruling noted that some employees who were connected with the union, supported it, or identified as members in the server had not been dismissed. These points contributed to the tribunal’s decision on the interim application.
What the tribunal noted about the dismissals
The ruling also described circumstances that may be relevant at a full hearing. Some employees were dismissed despite having made very few posts in the server, and some had not posted there for more than a year. The judge noted that the workers were given little or no notice, were not suspended, and did not have disciplinary hearings or an opportunity to respond to the allegations before the dismissal decisions were made.
The comments relied on by Rockstar were gathered without the knowledge of the employees using Discord. The former workers characterised this as covert monitoring. The tribunal’s observations do not amount to a final finding that the dismissals were unlawful, but they may form part of the issues examined in the later proceedings.
The Discord server and the disputed posts
The IWGB Discord server had around 350 members, more than half of whom were union members. It included former Rockstar employees and at least one journalist who had covered the studio and Grand Theft Auto’s development. According to the judgment, the posts Rockstar considered gross misconduct appeared in the server’s #general channel.
Interim relief would have temporarily restored the claimants to the company payroll while their case proceeded. Because the tribunal refused the application, the central dispute over the reasons for the dismissals remains for the full hearing.
Rockstar and IWGB respond to the decision
Rockstar welcomed the ruling and said it was consistent with the company’s position. It also said it regretted that dismissals had been necessary but stood by its actions.
The IWGB expressed disappointment, while maintaining that it believes the dismissals were unjust and unlawful. The union also pointed to the judge’s observation that the evidence did not show Rockstar had suffered adverse consequences because of the posts.
In November 2025, the IWGB accused Rockstar of union busting after the company dismissed 34 staff. Rockstar said the dismissals followed the sharing of confidential information. Later reporting indicated that the discussion concerned the company’s Slack policies in an invite-only Discord server.
What happens next?
The refusal of Rockstar staff interim relief is a decision about temporary support before a full hearing, not a final ruling on the merits of the case. The workers and the union may continue to pursue their claims, while the tribunal’s observations about notice, disciplinary procedures, monitoring, and the alleged disclosures provide important context for the next stage.
