Rockstar Games accused of underpaying some of its workers

Grand Theft Auto 6 developer Rockstar Games has once again found itself accused of breaching policies set by the UK government, this time following a federal crackdown on unpaid wages that left multiple employees at Rockstar North studio owed nearly £1,400, or roughly $1,800, in back wages. Rockstar Games has previously faced lawsuits and other challenges from UK government agencies in response to the 2025 layoffs, and the company has once again fallen into the realm of legal checks and balances for failing to pay employees their full back wages.

On October 30, 2025, Rockstar Games abruptly terminated 31 developers working on Grand Theft Auto 6which sparked major protests and public scrutiny. The company claimed the layoffs were the result of “gross misconduct”, but the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB) brought the move under legal review after some of the removed workers accused Rockstar of union busting. The remaining employees subsequently staged protests outside the Rockstar North offices, although an interim tribunal ruled in Rockstar's favor in January 2026. As this legal battle continues towards a full hearing, Rockstar Games is once again facing public criticism for being included on a list of UK companies that illegally underpay employees.

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Rockstar North failed to fully pay employees in 2025

Rockstar Games UK Limited, the subsidiary of Rockstar Games that oversees Rockstar North, failed to pay £1,396.73 to five employees in 2025, according to official figures collected by HM Revenue and Customs in the UK. Rockstar Games UK Limited has been named among 389 separate organizations operating in the UK that have now been ordered to pay all outstanding wages. Despite the total amount of unpaid wages at Rockstar North falling within the typical wage irregularities uncovered by HM Revenue and Customs in their annual reports, the studio's already troubled state has drawn more scrutiny than usual. In addition to the legal issues, a fire broke out at Rockstar North on January 19, 2026, although no employees were injured, and the company insisted that the incident would have no impact on the team's ability to continue development on Grand Theft Auto 6.

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Rockstar North and parent company Rockstar Games are far from the only video game studios to be embroiled in legal disputes or face public criticism over rounds of layoffs and project cancellations in recent years. Big companies like Microsoft, Embracer Group and Sony are among dozens of AAA names, as well as many independent groups that lay off workers with little or no notice. The video game industry has been in especially turbulent waters since the summer of 2023, and many doubt that these issues will begin to be resolved anytime soon. As long as Rockstar North pays back wages for 2025, the matter will be fully resolved, but the company is still waiting to see how Rockstar's legal battle with the laid-off workers turns out.

Amidst these complications, the goal is to ensure Grand Theft Auto 6 it comes out on time, especially after the title has already been delayed several times. Although many people who worked on the project have now been let go and others are trying to support their terminated team members, Rockstar Games has made it clear that it is doing everything possible to achieve the previously announced Grant Theft Auto 6 release date in November 2026. Only time will tell if legal hurdles in the UK or other unexpected complications will have an impact on Grand Theft Auto 6 or any other projects Rockstar North and others are working on Rockstar Games office, so interested fans may want to stay tuned for any official updates on the future GTA 6 and Rockstar.