Rockstar GamesRockstar Games has addressed the firings of over 30 members of staff, explaining that dozens of employees were let go for leaking confidential information.
Last week, Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier reported on Rockstar’s dismissal of 30-40 employees across its UK and Canada studios. At the time, it was suggested it could have been a ‘union-busting’ act, with The Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain claiming the firings were to put a stop to unionization efforts.
Rockstar parent company Take-Two Interactive swiftly denied such claims, stating all employees were dismissed for “gross misconduct and for no other reason.”
Now, one week later, Rockstar has further expanded on its claim, explaining that the employees were caught sharing company information.
Rockstar GamesRockstar Games firings due to spreading private information
In a follow-up from Schreier, an anonymous Rockstar spokesperson said the 30-40 staff members were fired for “leaking company secrets.”
Exactly what these secrets pertain to is anyone’s guess; however, Rockstar said that the information was shared on a forum that included non-employees.
Given efforts are currently focused on the highly anticipated launch of GTA 6, what’s projected to be the biggest entertainment product launch in recorded history, it’s possible these secrets revealed details on the upcoming game.
“Last week, we took action against a small number of individuals who were found to be distributing and discussing confidential information in a public forum, a violation of our company policies,” the spokesperson said. “This was in no way related to people’s right to join a union or engage in union activities.”
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Of course, GTA 6 suffered one of the most significant leaks in industry history when dozens of gameplay clips were shared online in 2022. The leaker was arrested and placed under an indefinite hospital order.
In the aftermath, Rockstar is undoubtedly looking to avoid a repeat, and has taken steps to put a stop to further information spilling out.