Rockstar compares its security around GTA VI to a Wall Street bank

Rockstar Games has explained in detail how it keeps GTA VI secret. It did so at the employment tribunal in Glasgow over 31 fired developers, IGN reports. The studio says its security matches that of a Wall Street bank.

According to Rockstar, protecting the design of the game is comparable to Apple guarding the iPhone or Coca-Cola guarding its recipe. The studio fired the 31 staff in the United Kingdom last year for sharing confidential information on Discord. Their union says they were fired for union activity.

What staff and visitors may not do

Visitors to Rockstar offices sign a non-disclosure agreement, and outside workers are escorted by security. Working from home is limited. USB sticks and other external storage are banned, and so is taking photos in the office.

Personal laptops, tablets and phones may not connect to Rockstar systems. Staff may not share confidential information with family members. According to Rockstar, it put privacy film on its windows after drones were used to take photos through them.

Why the studio is this strict

Rockstar says it is a regular target of phishing and other forms of social engineering. Five full-time investigators and a director look into possible leaks. In 2022 a hacker got into an employee’s computer through phishing and put dozens of videos of an early version of GTA VI online.

The studio also points to the CyberLeek hack. According to Rockstar, the publicity around that attack wiped around 2 billion dollars off the market value of parent company Take-Two. Earlier dismissals over leaks took place in the United States in November 2023, in Lincoln in April 2025 and in India in November 2025.

Coffee runs and pizza deliveries

According to Rockstar, fans watch its offices for clues. Coffee runs by staff, pizza deliveries and traffic around the buildings were followed in an attempt to predict announcements. In 2025 two harmless tweets by employees grew into a theory that a new trailer would appear on 27 December.

The union disputes the account of the dismissals. It says the staff got no normal disciplinary procedure and no chance to appeal. The case runs until 16 October.