GTA 6 Gameplay Leaks Have Taken Another Dark Turn

3 days ago 7

GTA 6 Jason Shooting pistol out the car window

Nicholas Becher is a gaming journalist with an MFA in Creative Writing from FAU. With extensive experience playing video games, he covers all forms of gaming content at Screen Rant, from breaking news to the latest fan theories. Most-played games range from Clair Obscur to Civ to Elden Ring to Halo 2 and beyond.

With Grand Theft Auto 6 set to release this year, Rockstar Games has kicked their strict policy on leaked information into overdrive. Rockstar has faced accusations of union-busting over GTA 6-related gameplay leaks which resulted in dozens of developers being fired at the Edinburgh location.

However, the controversy surrounding Grand Theft Auto 6 gameplay leaks has taken another dark turn, with Rockstar Games apparently admitting they've fired other GTA 6 developers for leaks in separate incidents unrelated to the Edinburgh firings (via Rockstar Intel). Developers at multiple locations were reportedly let go in addition to the 30+ employees who accused Rockstar of union busting at the Edinburgh offices.

More Rockstar Devs Fired Over GTA 6 Gameplay Leaks

In a statement released to IGN, Rockstar has offered its position on the union-busting matter, with a hardline stance that the accusations are categorically false, and the various firings were completely justified due to developers breaking the law. In the same breath, Rockstar seems to have also revealed that additional firings took place under the same strict content-leak policy, with several other devs being canned at different locations.

This includes a developer at a Rockstar India location, at least one "US-based Rockstar worker," as well as an incident at Rockstar Lincoln in the UK. All of these were reportedly due to GTA 6-related gameplay leaks that Rockstar claims were grounds for termination.

Rockstar has offered the following statement in response to the various firings:

“We regret that these dismissals were necessary; however, confidentiality is fundamental to everything Rockstar Games does. Global interest in our games is unparalleled. Even the smallest leak of any information relating to our products and practices can cause major commercial and creative damage — as we have seen in the past — and damage the experience of our loyal players and dedicated team. This was never about union membership. We have always taken a zero-tolerance approach to unauthorized releases of information — and we always will.”

Rockstar Is Under Intense Scrutiny Right Now

With GTA 6's anticipated release on the horizon, Rockstar has doubled down on their strict policy regarding leaked information, and they're clearly not messing around. However, with hype around GTA 6 at an all-time high and with all eyes on Rockstar at the moment, the studio is facing some intense scrutiny when it comes to workplace practices and employee well-being.

Despite Rockstar maintaining its posture that union-busting has nothing to do with the situation, it's hard to ignore the likelihood that things behind the scenes are extremely tense and demanding for Grand Theft Auto 6 devs across the globe.