Rockstar Games is facing a serious issue in the United Kingdom, where the company has been ordered to compensate employees and pay a fine after it was found that it failed to pay the minimum wage to some, and now it must repay the missing amounts.
The developer of Red Dead Redemption and Grand Theft Auto has been listed among 389 companies that violated minimum wage laws in the UK. Data released by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) shows that Rockstar’s UK operations underpaid five employees based in Edinburgh. The total unpaid amount was £1,396.73 (around $1,850). This means each employee was underpaid by an average of about $372.65, and although the amounts are relatively small, they still count as breaches of UK minimum wage rules.
Although the amount is relatively small for a company of Rockstar’s scale, its inclusion on the list may have an impact on its reputation. This was uncovered during a wider inspection campaign in the UK, where hundreds of workers across different companies were identified as underpaid, and more than £7 million in total repayments were ordered.
It’s also worth noting that Rockstar North is the main Rockstar studio in the UK and is leading development on the Grand Theft Auto series, including GTA 6. The Edinburgh office has had a difficult time in recent months. Separate reports previously indicated that a fire in December 2025 caused structural damage to the building. So far, the company has not made any public comment on the situation.
As more information becomes available, we’ll be sure to keep you updated here at GameObserver.
