Rockstar Games targeted by politicians. Studio co-founder comments on „most ruthless act”

More politicians are speaking out against the layoffs at the creators of Grand Theft Auto 6, and one of the studio's founders is dodging questions about the current state of employees in the gaming industry.

Following criticism of the recent "job cuts" at Rockstar Games and reports from affected developers, another politician has spoken out on the matter. According to STV, Dan Heap from the Scottish Green Party and an Edinburgh councilor (where layoffs occurred in the local studio branch) wants the city council to support the employees against their former employer and formally express concerns about Rockstar's decision. The motion is set to be discussed at the next council meeting this week.

This is another politician who has sided with the laid-off people. Earlier, Christine Jardine showed her support for them during a session in the UK parliament, and the protesting union members called the cuts the "most ruthless act" against unions in the history of video games.

The gaming industry is not perfect, but it's worth the effort

The issue of layoffs was also raised during a recent interview with Dan Houser, co-founder of Rockstar, who is working on his own game after leaving the company. Houser is also writing a book, which was the main topic of his conversation with Kate Molleson for BBC Radio 4 (via Rockstar Intel). (Houser is working on his own universe, which currently includes an audio series and a novel based on it, released on October 25).

During the broadcast, Houser mentioned that the company depicted in A Better Paradise is hastily "cutting costs" and "sacrificing many of its values" in pursuit of achieving something that will have a huge impact on society, which is a typical goal for tech companies. Molleson quickly brought up the Rockstar North layoffs and mentioned that, according to the affected employees, the decision wasn't due to any "indiscretions" on their part, but rather because they were interested in unions.

In this context, the radio presenter asked the creator if he believes the gaming industry is currently a good place to work. Houser responded affirmatively, though he noted that "no industry is perfect."

That vague answer isn't surprising because, first off, Dan Houser left Rockstar Games years ago, and second, his brother Sam Houser is still running the studio. Dan left the company almost six years ago and thus isn't particularly in a position to comment on the current situation of the studio.

Grand Theft Auto VI

November 19, 2026

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