The Independent Workers’ union of Great Britain, or IWGB, has issued an official statement today about Rockstar’s request for workers to return to the office.
The IWGB says that Rockstar’s move “marks a U-turn from previous statements in which the company insisted flexible work options would remain available”.
The union adds that “Rockstar management are refusing to engage with workers”. According to the IWGB, Rockstar cited “security concerns and reduced productivity”.
It was only just revealed this week that Rockstar issued a mandate for employees to return to the office for five days a week. The move will go into effect in April.
The IWGB statement also includes anonymous testimonies from Rockstar workers. One employee alleges “there has been zero consultation with us”.
The workers also reportedly mentioned the potential difficulties for employees with “disabilities, care responsibilities, or health issues”.
Austin Kelmore, the IWGB Game Workers Chair, claims that Rockstar has “ignored the workers’ requests for basic working conditions”.
Still, Rockstar may very well be on high alert regarding security. The company faced massive GTA 6 leaks, including 90 videos of an early build. It is arguably one of the most damaging leaks in the industry’s history.
Arion Kurtaj was ultimately the hacker behind the devastating GTA 6 leaks. They were eventually sentenced to an indefinite hospital order in December 2023.
In September 2022, the GTA 6 leaks already signaled the potential for work-from-home changes across the industry.
Even the GTA 6 trailer dropped ahead of time last December, due to leaks. But the trailer did go on to break a number of records.
At this time, Rockstar has not issued an official reply to the IWGB’s new claims or testimonies.
For more of the latest Insider Gaming news, you can read about 505 Games closing its offices in Germany, Spain, and France.
