Take-Two Interactive and Rockstar Video games have been busy. GTA 6 was delayed yesterday, information that broke alongside Take-Two’s quarterly earnings name. And simply final week, Rockstar fired between 30 and 40 workers, claiming later that they have been “distributing and discussing confidential info in a public discussion board” towards firm coverage. The fired workers, nevertheless, say they have been taking part in a union-related Discord chat, and that their firing was “blatant” and “ruthless” union busting.
Amid all this, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick is defending the corporate’s tradition and labor document, saying Take-Two is “extremely proud” of its labor relations.
Chatting with IGN yesterday forward of the earnings announcement, Zelnick pointed me to Take-Two and Rockstar’s present public statements after I requested if he had any response to the allegations of union busting, and reiterating that “we totally help Rockstar.”
So then I requested Zelnick, what’s Take-Two’s stance on unions, typically? Zelnick didn’t reply to that particular query. However this is what he did say:
“Right here’s what we now have a stance on. We worth each one in every of our colleagues drastically. We’ve got 13,500 colleagues worldwide. We’re so pleased with our tradition. In the previous couple of years we’ve been acknowledged over 15 instances as an employer of selection… we’ve been licensed this yr as an excellent place to work within the U.S. and UK, Forbes just lately referred to as us one of many world’s finest employers, and additional… our attrition charge is half or much less of the business common. To be particular, our international attrition charge is simply over 6%, within the UK it is lower than 4%. The business common is over 12%, and Rockstar is even decrease than our common.”
“So, , the proof is within the pudding, and the meals is sweet, and I feel our tradition is extraordinary. And we attempt to be essentially the most artistic, most modern, and most effective firm within the enterprise. In order that’s how we take a look at it. We’re extremely pleased with our labor relations.”
[A Take-Two spokesperson later clarified Rockstar’s global attrition rate is 4%, and in the UK it is “half that number.” IGN followed up to ask for the source of the over 12% industry average attrition. The spokesperson clarified it was for “entertainment and tech” and that the source was Take-Two’s own internal research: “we use a variety of related data platforms/sources to compile.”]
Zelnick’s response comes amid ongoing uproar over the firings, with affected workers and supporters picketing exterior Rockstar and Take-Two’s UK places of work yesterday. In accordance with the Impartial Employees Union of Nice Britain (IWGB), the one non-Rockstar individuals contained in the non-public union Discord have been union organizers. IWGB boss Alex Marshall issued IGN the next assertion:
“Rockstar proceed to deflect from the actual purpose for these dismissals: they’re afraid of onerous working employees privately discussing exercising their rights for a fairer office and a collective voice. Administration are displaying they don’t care about delays to GTA 6, and that they’re prioritising union busting by concentrating on the very individuals who make the sport.
“Lately, Rockstar executives have benefited from £443 million in tax reduction, whereas displaying complete disregard for the regulation or the livelihoods of their employees. At each flip, they’ve chosen earnings over each employees and followers of their video games. The one non Rockstar workers within the union Discord channel have been union organisers.”
Rockstar maintains that the firings have been for “gross misconduct, and for no different purpose.”
This is not the primary occasion of labor unrest on the firm. Final yr, the studio requested workers to come back to the workplace 5 days every week, citing a want for each elevated productiveness and safety following a huge leak of the in-development GTA 6 in 2022 and the day-early launch of GTA 6 Trailer 1 the next yr. The choice was criticized by employees affiliated with the IWGB, who stated Rockstar broke guarantees with the pressured return to workplace, and accused the studio of refusing to interact with employees on the problem.
GTA 6 is now scheduled for launch on November 19, 2026.
Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. Yow will discover her posting on BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Bought a narrative tip? Ship it to rvalentine@ign.com.
