GTA 6 Developer Rockstar Games Fined by UK Government for Underpaying Workers

Rockstar Games has been fined after the UK government named it on an official list of employers that failed to pay the National Minimum Wage. The listing, published by HM Revenue and Customs, puts the Grand Theft Auto developer alongside 389 companies targeted in a nationwide enforcement sweep — and lands at an awkward moment for the studio, with GTA 6 just 50 days from launch.

The underpayments concern workers at Rockstar’s Edinburgh studio — Rockstar North — the team leading development on Grand Theft Auto VI. Here is everything we know about the fine, what Rockstar was accused of, and why this is just the latest headache in a turbulent year for the company.

What Happened

On March 19, HMRC published its enforcement list naming and shaming UK employers that had failed to pay workers the National Minimum Wage. Rockstar Games UK Limited — the legal entity behind Rockstar North — appeared on the list, with the government stating the company had underpaid five employees at its Holyrood Road office in Edinburgh.

Alongside the repayments, the government fined the studio for the offence. The list covered a total of 389 employers, with around 60,000 workers found to have been underpaid and denied over £7.3 million in wages collectively. Total penalties across the round reached roughly £12.6 million, according to reporting on the enforcement data.

Business Secretary Peter Kyle did not mince words about the crackdown. “The vast majority of businesses in this country do the right thing by paying their staff properly and playing by the rules,” he said. “It’s not fair on them when others are able to get ahead by not paying wages their workers are owed.” He added that he looked forward to working with the new Fair Work Agency “to ensure its powers are used to crack down on those who think the rules don’t apply to them.”

The Numbers: What Rockstar Was Ordered to Repay

The amounts are small in isolation — averaging just a few hundred pounds per worker — and fall within the range of routine payroll discrepancies HMRC routinely identifies in its enforcement rounds. But the naming-and-shaming list treats the offence as the offence: failure to pay the legal minimum wage is unlawful regardless of scale, and every company on the list was ordered to make workers whole plus pay penalties.

Rockstar has not commented on the underpayments, and did not respond to the enforcement listing publicly.

Rockstar North: The Studio Building GTA 6

There is no real-world separation here worth glossing over: Rockstar North is the primary UK studio for Rockstar Games and the lead developer of the Grand Theft Auto series. The same Edinburgh team named on the HMRC list is currently heading development on Grand Theft Auto VI, which launches on November 19, 2026 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.

To be clear, there is no suggestion that the wage case affects the game’s development or its release date. The underpayment concerns 2025 payroll and has been ordered resolved — Rockstar simply has to pay up. But the optics are rough: one of the most valuable entertainment properties on the planet, built by a company listed as underpaying its own staff.

A Turbulent Year for Rockstar

The minimum wage fine is the latest in a string of controversies that have dogged the studio in the run-up to launch. In December 2025, Prime Minister Keir Starmer vowed to investigate allegations of union-busting after Rockstar fired more than 30 employees who were said to be in a union or planning to organise one — Rockstar claimed they were dismissed for “gross misconduct, and for no other reason.”

Then in January 2026, a fire broke out at the Rockstar North building in Edinburgh, prompting a police cordon and an emergency services response. No employees were injured, and the company insisted the incident would have no impact on GTA 6 development.

The wage story has also fuelled political criticism. Edinburgh North and Leith MP Tracy Gilruth raised the issue in Parliament, branding Rockstar’s conduct a “Grand Theft Tax” — a line that has since been picked up across the coverage.

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