The Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain (IWGB) has accused Rockstar Games of offering "sweeteners" to informants allegedly spying on a private union Discord server.

As reported by former Game Developer editor Chris Kerr for Vertical Slice, the GTA 6 developer has spent the last year facing allegations of union busting from the IWGB after dismissing more than 30 employees. Rockstar maintains that the workers were fired for leaking confidential information, with the dispute now the subject of an employment tribunal in Glasgow.

During proceedings, Rockstar head of publishing Jennifer Kolbe was shown evidence of an exchange between HR manager Julie Stephen and an alleged informant, referred to as an "information provider." The messages suggest Stephen offered the employee additional time off in exchange for spying on the private server.

GTA 6 has put a target on the studio's back, with blackmail attempts, hacking, and even drone spying.

The informant said they were "going through everything" and taking screenshots before asking Stephen if they could take an hour off the following day. Her alleged response? "No worries."

The identity of the informant has been redacted from legal documents, but the exchange adds another layer to the allegations surrounding Rockstar's handling of its union dispute.

Speaking to TheGamer, former Rockstar employees said they were dismissed by the company for "gross misconduct." Union president Alex Marshall, meanwhile, described the firings as the "most blatant and ruthless act of union busting in the history of the games' industry."

" However, the company has admitted to accessing the server's "public channels," while an informant reportedly remained inside the server for two and a half years.

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