Rockstar Games blamed the layoffs on a confidential data leak

Rockstar Games responded to reports of mass layoffs, denying the connection between the incident and employee attempts to organize a union. According to studio representatives, the cause was a violation of internal security regulations—developers shared classified information on public forums accessible to outsiders.

As a result of the internal investigation, between thirty and forty people lost their jobs. The company emphasized that the decision was unrelated to union activity and was made solely due to the disclosure of classified information, which violates Rockstar policy.

Bloomberg journalist Jason Schreier reiterated that the studio traditionally places special emphasis on information security. Following a major leak in 2022, when dozens of videos featuring early versions of Grand Theft Auto VI appeared online, the company significantly tightened data protection measures and internal communications controls.