Rockstar Workers to Hold Union Vote During Grand Theft Auto VI Launch Window

Rockstar Games employees in the UK will vote on formal union recognition from November 12 through November 26, a period that includes the November 19 console launch of Grand Theft Auto VI.

The two-week ballot will determine whether the company formally recognizes the IWGB Rockstar Game Workers Union. According to PC Gamer’s report, a successful vote would make it the largest game industry union in the UK.

Formal recognition would give the union a role in representing employees on workplace matters. The areas identified in the report include pay and bonuses, overtime, redundancies, flexible working arrangements, and policies covering generative AI.

Negotiations between the union and Rockstar management over the terms of a recognition agreement have been underway since July. The scheduled vote now places that process across one of the studio’s most significant release periods, with ballots opening one week before Grand Theft Auto VI arrives on consoles and closing one week afterward.

Rockstar has not issued a new public statement about the November ballot. However, Rockstar head of publishing Jennifer Kolbe previously told Bloomberg that the company would follow the team’s decision on unionization.

The vote concerns formal workplace representation for Rockstar employees; it does not change the announced November 19 release date for Grand Theft Auto VI on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.

What workplace issue should Rockstar employees prioritize if the union-recognition vote succeeds?