Man sacked by Grand Theft Auto maker believes employees were put on ‘watch list’
Source: Guardian Jobs ↗
A former Rockstar Games employee, Dayne Oram, testified before a Glasgow employment tribunal that he believes the company placed a “watch list” on staff who signed a 2023 petition demanding more remote‑working options, and that this list led to the dismissal of 31 workers in 2025. Oram, who helped create and moderate a Discord forum used by roughly 300 Rockstar staff, said the petition’s signatories were later targeted for termination, although Rockstar contends the firings were for gross misconduct after confidential information was shared on the platform. The tribunal is examining whether the dismissals, which affected employees primarily involved in the development of the highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto VI, breached trade‑union protections.
The case hinges on evidence from the Discord channel, where Rockstar alleges that moderators, including Oram, allowed “unprofessional and disparaging” comments to proliferate, such as insults calling managers “cowardly corporate fucks” and “cunts.” Rockstar’s legal representative, Thomas Cordrey, read excerpts of these posts and highlighted that the forum’s rules required constructive behavior, which he said were repeatedly violated. While Oram admitted that moderation could have been stricter, he maintained that the company’s focus on the petition signatories was disproportionate, noting that 141 of the 154 employees who signed the petition were not dismissed, a point Cordrey used to question the alleged link between the petition and the firings.
The tribunal, presided over by Judge Lucy Wiseman, is slated to run for about six weeks, with further Rockstar witness testimony scheduled for October. In total, 34 Rockstar workers were terminated last year, including three Canadian staff who are not part of the Scottish proceedings. The 23 Scottish claimants are represented by the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain and are seeking official union recognition before GTA VI’s November 19 launch. Rockstar maintains that all dismissals were justified on grounds of leaking confidential information and vows to “defend them vigorously,” while current employees continue negotiations aimed at securing union status amid the game’s massive $3 billion pre‑order revenue expectations.
⚡ Effects Interpreter
🌍World Economylow impact
What this means for you
- ▶Currency traders elsewhere might start pricing in the fallout within hours.
- ▶Distant markets sometimes move on rumour before the facts even settle.
🏙️Local Economylow impact
What this means for you
- ▶The local labour market may feel a gentle shift from this.
- ▶Workers in this field might face changes to pay, hours or job security.
🏦Rates & Banksmedium impact
What this means for you
- ▶Central bankers rarely rush; they prefer to see how the dust settles.
- ▶Financial markets sometimes overreact to rate speculation before banks even respond.
❤️Healthmedium impact
What this means for you
- ▶Support networks, formal or informal, tend to matter most in moments like this.
- ▶Checking in on vulnerable neighbours matters when news feels heavy.
💷Wealthmedium impact
What this means for you
- ▶Reviewing insurance and benefits now can soften any future blow.
- ▶Checking eligibility for support schemes early can save stress down the road.
🏠Housinglow impact
What this means for you
- ▶Rental yields in the area might shift only slightly, if at all, from this.
- ▶The property market tends to move slowly, so expect any change to take time.
🌍 Effects for your country
The U.S.'s central bank rate currently stands at 3.75%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. The U.S.'s economy is growing at 2.3% with inflation at 3.2%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track the U.S.'s own central bank rate closely. With the U.S.'s unemployment at 4.4%, personal-finance effects like this land on a labour market that is currently fairly stable. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in the U.S. depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.
The UK's central bank rate currently stands at 3.75%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. The UK's economy is growing at 0.8% with inflation at 3.2%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track the UK's own central bank rate closely. With the UK's unemployment at 5.6%, personal-finance effects like this land on a labour market that is currently fairly stable. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in the UK depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.
France's central bank rate currently stands at 2%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. France's economy is growing at 0.9% with inflation at 1.8%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track France's own central bank rate closely. With France's unemployment at 7.9%, personal-finance effects like this land on a labour market that is already under strain. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in France depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.
Romania's central bank rate currently stands at 6.5%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. Romania's economy is growing at 0.7% with inflation at 7.8%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track Romania's own central bank rate closely. With Romania's unemployment at 6%, personal-finance effects like this land on a labour market that is currently fairly stable. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in Romania depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.
The UAE's central bank rate currently stands at 3.65%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. The UAE's economy is growing at 3.1% with inflation at 2.5%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track the UAE's own central bank rate closely. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in the UAE depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.