A UK employment tribunal hearing has revealed that Grand Theft Auto 6's online mode will support at least 32 players, amid a dispute over Rockstar Games firing more than two dozen employees. The detail emerged from confidential Discord messages shared during the case, which Rockstar deemed highly sensitive. The preliminary ruling rejected interim relief for the workers, but a full trial remains pending.
The ongoing legal battle between Rockstar Games and the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) centers on the dismissal of over 30 employees in October 2025. Rockstar accused the developers of gross misconduct for sharing confidential information in a Discord server, while the union claims it was an attempt to suppress union activity.
During a preliminary hearing at the Glasgow Employment Tribunal on January 13, 2026, Rockstar's legal representative hesitated to disclose a "top-secret element of GTA 6" aloud, asking the judge to review it privately. However, documents viewed by People Make Games included messages from fired employees discussing playtesting challenges. One developer, from a team of 56, wrote: "They mentioned the large session we did today 'being difficult to do,' but that was 32 players, not sure how that was difficult." Another replied: "Sounds like you have multiple studios of QA testers, surely someone can manage to organize a 32-player session and let people have their time off."
Rockstar described these exchanges as "highly confidential and commercially sensitive information relating to the content and features of an unannounced online service," specifically noting the discussion of the planned number of online players. This aligns with the current GTA Online, which supports 32 players per server (30 players plus two spectators). The revelation contradicts earlier rumors of servers holding 64 or even 96 players.
Other messages cited by Rockstar involved discussions of crunch conditions, generative AI concerns, perk changes, and one 15-word update: "Nothing that I've heard in North QA! Will keep you updated if that changes ofc." The company argued this revealed working patterns that could indicate GTA 6's development stage.
The tribunal rejected the union's request for back pay and interim relief during the case. A full trial will determine if the firings were unfair. Grand Theft Auto 6 is set for release in November 2025, with its multiplayer mode expected shortly after, following the model of GTA Online's launch weeks after GTA V in 2013.
