Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick has stated he is "not in the least" concerned that negative press surrounding Rockstar Games' labor relations will affect the upcoming launch of Grand Theft Auto 6. The comments come amid an ongoing employment tribunal case concerning the dismissal of 31 employees from Rockstar North in Edinburgh, who were all members of the IWGB Game Workers Union. The union alleges that these firings constitute union-busting, a claim that has drawn attention in the UK, including discussion by former Prime Minister Keir Starmer and in Parliament.
Rockstar Games has maintained that the dismissals were due to "gross misconduct." In response to the firings, a Rockstar Game Workers Union was established earlier this year and has reportedly seen increased membership. Zelnick, speaking to The Game Business, differentiated between game development and labor relations, expressing pride in Take-Two's workforce of 13,000 employees globally. He highlighted the company's low attrition rate, stating it is half that of the industry average, and that Rockstar's rate is itself half of Take-Two's overall figure, calling it "vastly the lowest in the business."
These remarks were made following Take-Two's latest financial earnings report. During the same report, Zelnick also projected that game streaming will dominate in three years and explained that the company's business is now "well over 90 percent digital," potentially informing decisions like the absence of a disc version for GTA 6. While the union dispute remains a contentious issue, with the tribunal trial set to commence on September 10, Zelnick appears confident it will not hinder the commercial success of Grand Theft Auto 6, a title widely expected to be a record-breaking bestseller. The game is projected to become the best-selling game of all time, though it faces the considerable benchmark set by Minecraft's more than 350 million sales.