GLASGOW, U.K. - A Scottish employment tribunal on Thursday begins hearing a case brought by 23 sacked employees of Rockstar Games -- the studio behind the highly anticipated video game Grand Theft Auto VI. A total 31 U.K. employees were dismissed in October last year, along with three staff in Canada, for allegedly sharing confidential information on the Discord platform, according to U.S.-owned Rockstar, which is known for its culture of secrecy. The hearing, set to last more than one month, comes before the Nov. 19 launch of the latest GTA instalment. Since the 1997 original, the gangster shooter series has sold more than 470 million copies worldwide. Lloyd Knott, who worked on the visual effects for GTA VI, decried the industry’s “culture of fear,” as he spoke to AFP on Thursday in Glasgow, where the hearing takes place. The 42 year-old is a member of the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain, which is seeking the reinstatement or compensation for the sacked staff. The IWGB claims the workers in Scotland were targeted owing to their union activities and deems the manner of the dismissals “illegal,” noting the absence of disciplinary procedures or a right of appeal. “You kind of feel like, by being a union member, you put a target on your back,” Knott added. Branimira Yordanova, who was laid off from her role as a lighting artist, said the sacking left her worried about losing her home. “To say the impact was devastating doesn’t do it justice,” the 31 year-old told AFP, adding that while she had managed to find a short-time contract following her dismissal, that work had now ended. Rockstar, a subsidiary of U.S. giant Take-Two Interactive, developed the game in Edinburgh. Over in Glasgow, about forty people carrying banners that denounced “union busting” gathered outside the courthouse Thursday. “Rockstar Games’ position has been clear and consistent throughout,” the company said in a statement. “Individuals across the U.K. and Canada were dismissed for gross misconduct following the sharing of confidential company information, not because of alleged trade union membership or activity.” “We reject the claims and will defend them vigorously before the tribunal,” it added. Development of GTA VI has been shrouded in the utmost secrecy, but leaks from an unknown source revealed unseen footage of the title, prompting Rockstar Games to release an extended preview in late August.
