Rockstar staff begin union vote as GTA 6 pre-load opens

Rockstar Games developers working on GTA 6 will start voting on the studio's proposed union at the same moment pre-loading opens for the game on PS5 and Xbox Series X and S, GamesRadar+ reports. Aftermath first covered the vote and shared a statement from the Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain (IWGB). GamesRadar+ adds that the IWGB has been helping Rockstar staff set up their own studio union so they can bargain over pay, rights and protections.

Ballots are open from November 12 through November 26. Pre-loading also starts on November 12, and the game launches Thursday, November 19. According to the union's press release, quoted by GamesRadar+, a passed agreement would "grant workers a say over issues including pay and bonuses, overtime, redundancies, flexible working, and generative AI policies."

Shanti Easton-Steel, a committee member for the Rockstar Game Workers Union, said: "This is our moment to secure a window onto the decisions that shape our lives, and a seat at the table to improve them." GamesRadar+ notes the vote comes during an ongoing legal dispute over fired staff, including some who were unionizing, who were allegedly let go for leaking "confidential information." Rockstar has repeatedly denied claims of union busting.

GamesRadar+ also says a 210GB download size for the PS5 version is a rumor and has not been confirmed.