Rockstar Games tribunal in Glasgow: 31 former employees, IWGB and dismissal case
At Glasgow Tribunals Centre, Rockstar Games v Garland & Others centers on 31 ex-employees, the IWGB and claims of union-busting.
- Rockstar says the October 2025 dismissals followed gross misconduct and the leaking of confidential information; the claimants say the case is really about union-busting.
- Witness Charlie Kinloch said, according to Eurogamer, that he had “little interest” in evidence about union organising sent to him by an anonymous worker.
What happened
The employment case Rockstar Games v Garland & Others is being heard at the Glasgow Tribunals Centre and involves 31 former Rockstar employees. They are being supported in the proceedings by the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) and say their dismissals were linked to union activity inside the company.
Rockstar, according to the reporting, is sticking to a different version of events. The company says the staff involved were dismissed for gross misconduct and for sharing confidential information. Based on the available sources, no final ruling has yet been made on which explanation the tribunal will accept.
During one hearing, Charlie Kinloch, described by Eurogamer as HR manager and co-studio operations director at Rockstar Lincoln, was questioned about his knowledge of union-related information. According to the report, he said he had little interest in evidence about unionisation that reached him via an anonymous employee.
Eurogamer also reports that at an interim relief hearing in January 2026, Kinloch first said he did not know whether employees were members of the IWGB, and later said he could not definitively determine which workers were members. The claimants say he may have misled the employment tribunal; Kinloch denies that.
Timeline
October 2025 — According to the provided context, the affected employees were dismissed.
January 2026 — An interim relief hearing reportedly considered whether the workers should receive temporary protection or pay.
January 2026 — Kinloch reportedly first said he did not know whether employees were members of the IWGB, then said he could not definitively confirm it.
2026-10-09 — Kinloch was heard again at the Glasgow Tribunals Centre about his role and knowledge of the union-related information.
Background
The IWGB is reportedly bringing claims against Rockstar over unfair dismissal and blacklisting of staff. That means the case is not only about why the workers were dismissed, but also whether Rockstar knew in advance that certain employees were involved in IWGB membership or other organising activity.
The exact contents of the anonymous information sent to Kinloch have not been fully detailed in the available sources. The outcome of the interim relief hearing and the wider tribunal case has also not been confirmed in the material provided.