At a Glasgow employment tribunal on October 9, 2026, Charlie Kinloch, HR manager and co-studio operations director at Rockstar Lincoln, said the rapid growth of a worker-organizing Discord server, unfamiliar new participants and heightened attention around Grand Theft Auto 6 shaped how he viewed employee comments in October 2025, as Rockstar approached a major announcement.
What Kinloch told the tribunal
Kinloch described the server’s growth and the difficulty of identifying some new participants as reasons the Discord activity drew greater concern. He also said public and media attention around GTA 6, alongside an approaching significant announcement, influenced his assessment of comments about working conditions and internal processes.
His testimony addressed how he viewed the comments at the time. The former employees and Rockstar give different explanations for the dismissals.
Why the dismissals are disputed
Former employees represented by the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) allege that their dismissals were connected to union activity. Rockstar says it dismissed workers for gross misconduct and disclosure of confidential information.
The dispute is whether union organizing was a reason for the dismissals or whether the company acted over misconduct and confidential information. Kinloch’s explanation of his assessment of Discord activity does not decide that question.
The January interim-relief decision
In January 2026, the tribunal rejected the workers’ application for interim relief. That preliminary decision did not determine the underlying claims about the dismissals.
