The not-so-fast and the furious: What's going wrong at billion pound video game maker?
Plus: Dame Muriel Spark to take centrestage; no to Rose Street hotel; and £42m for Waterfront homes
Sackings, angry protests and delays hit makers of Grand Theft Auto franchise
One of the most anticipated video games ever has been delayed amid angry protests about the “union-busting” sacking of some of the game’s developers in Edinburgh.
Rockstar North is reportedly spending more than £1billion developing the latest edition of its Grand Theft Auto (GTA) series at its Edinburgh headquarters, with support from its sister studios in New York and around the world.
But its release has been delayed for 12 months amid protests about the sacking of 31 workers from its Edinburgh and London studios.
The company say the involved staff were sacked for discussing confidential information on a public forum, but the sacked staff say it is because of their involvement in setting up union representation within the company.
So, Grand Theft Auto 6 is a big deal? With hopes it will rival its predecessor GTA 5’s worldwide sale of around £6.5bn - and reported development costs of more than £1bn - you could say that. As many as 6000 developers worldwide, including 1200 in Edinburgh, are said to be working on it.
Pre-launch pressures: Global video game sales have dipped since their pandemic peak and GTA 6 is Rockstar North’s big hope for renewed blockbuster sales. The working culture at the company was said to have improved after criticism of high pressure and long hours in the run up to previous major launches.
Unhappy returns: The concern is that those issues are now resurfacing, particularly since a mandatory return to five-days-a-week in-the-office working was ordered last year, to focus on preparing the game for launch.
Eight years in the making: Rockstar North last week delayed the launch - which was initially planned for this autumn - until November 2026. By then, it will have been in development for eight years, which is a long time even by the standards of an industry which works in multi-year cycles. It says it is focused on “polishing” the game.
‘Ruthless union busting’: The game workers union IWGB describes the sackings as “the most ruthless act of union busting in the history of the UK games industry.” All those sacked are reportedly members of a Discord private trade union chat group on Discord. The union has staged a protest outside Rockstar North’s headquarters, the former offices of The Scotsman, near the Scottish Parliament, and is threatening legal action demanding their reinstatement.
Rockstar North says: In a statement to the Bloomberg news agency, Rockstar North said: “We took action against a small number of individuals who were found to be distributing and discussing confidential information in a public forum, a violation of our company policies. This was in no way related to people’s right to join a union or engage in union activities.”
The union says: IWGB president Alex Marshall said: “They are afraid of hard working staff privately discussing exercising their rights for a fairer workplace and a collective voice. Management are showing they don’t care about delays to GTA 6, and that they’re prioritising union busting by targeting the very people who make the game.”
What happens next? Protesters have raised the prospect of a campaign calling for a consumer boycott of GTA 6 if the company does not respond to union demands.
YOUR EDINBURGH BRIEFING
NO TO ROSE ST HOTEL: Plans to turn Rose Street’s former Charlotte Baptist Chapel into a 47-bedroom hotel have been rejected by city councillors. The B-listed building had been operating in recent years as the Rose Theatre venue. Councillors were not opposed in principle to the building becoming a hotel. However, they felt parts of the plans submitted by ANTA Design on behalf of Morningbridge Ltd were “insensitive”, including the subdivision of the main auditorium at the centre of the building.
JEAN BRODIE: Celebrated director Vicky Featherstone is to return to the Royal Lyceum with a new stage version of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. The National Theatre of Scotland production - adapted by Olivier Award-winning playwright David Harrower and starring Tony Award-nominee Gayle Rankin - will come to the Lyceum next November.
DESIGNS FOR MURIEL: A design competition is to be launched next week to choose an artist and concept for a memorial in Princes Street Gardens celebrating Dame Muriel Spark. The sculpture will be the first celebrating a woman in the park’s 200- year history.
BLACK DEATH: The first scientific evidence of the Black Death in Edinburgh has been discovered in remains excavated from the grounds of St Giles’ Cathedral. The remains of a teenage boy who died in the 14th Century were originally uncovered in 1981. Fresh tests using more advanced methods of DNA sequencing, isotopic analysis and radiocarbon dating have now found traces of the Bubonic plague in the plaque on his teeth.
GRANTON HOMES: Nearly 850 more Net Zero homes, including 387 classified as ‘affordable’, will be built at Granton after the Scottish Government confirmed up to £42 million funding. Work on the latest Waterfront development, which will include a new primary school and space for 14 businesses, is expected to start early in the New Year.
STUDENT FLATS: New plans have been submitted for a 182-bed student housing complex on Russell Road in the west of the city Edinburgh by 7N Architects. The seven-storey building is proposed for an empty brownfield site close to the Roseburn to Union Canal active travel route. The Net Zero development, led by 7N Architects, will be fully electric and powered by solar panels.
TIMELY OPENING: Luxury Swiss watchmaker OMEGA has opened a two-storey flagship store on Multrees Walk, which includes a lounge and bar area for an ‘elevated customer experience.’ The new store will showcase OMEGA’s renowned collections, including Constellation, Seamaster, Speedmaster, and De Ville.
SLOW AND STEADY: Edinburgh’s 20mph road network is set to be extended to 66 more locations; you can see the full list here. For context you can see our recent article about road safety.
TRAM INJURY: A 66-year-old man has been hurt after being hit by a tram on Constitution Street in Leith, shortly after 1.30pm on Friday. The man was taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary for treatment.
Pic of the week
THE BUSINESS
Growing Innovation and looking to the Future
A new member of Edinburgh’s growing innovation ecosystem is due to open next week when Venture Café launches at the Edinburgh Futures Institute, joining an international network of 20 from Boston to Tokyo.
Venture Café, founded in the Cambridge Innovation Centre in Boston in 2009, aims to connect innovators, entrepreneurs, academics, investors and policy-makers “to accelerate collaboration and fuel Scotland’s next generation of breakthrough ventures.”
Thursday gatherings – regular inclusive events – are held to bring members together, more than 100,000 from around the world.
Claudia Cavalluzzo, Venture Cafe Edinburgh Directorm said: “Venture Café is about opening doors — connecting people, ideas and opportunities that might otherwise never intersect. Scotland has incredible research, creativity and entrepreneurial energy. Our role is to amplify that strength by building a vibrant, inclusive community where the best ideas flourish and thrive. Isolation is the enemy of innovation; collaboration is its greatest ally.”
Professor Marion Thain, Director of Edinburgh Futures Institute (EFI), added: “Edinburgh Futures Institute is delighted to host Venture Café in Scotland. As a hub for innovation and academic-industry collaboration across a range of sectors, including traveltech, fintech, creative and public services, EFI is keenly aware of the role universities can play in supporting entrepreneurship and partnerships. Hosting Venture Café in Edinburgh aligns with our mission to turn interdisciplinary research and creativity into real-world impact.”
The first gathering takes place on 20 November.
TRADE MISSION: Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce is leading a trade mission to the Chinese city of Shenzen this week, following on from a successful mission last year which secured $2 million worth of investment and orders. China is one of the UK’s top trading partners, and Shenzen, located in the Guandong, Macau and Hong Kong area, is one of its fastest growing cities.
CAPITAL INVESTMENT: Plans have been approved for Britain’s biggest mutual life, pensions and investment company to create its Scottish HQ at Thistle Street , which will house up to 1600 of its 4000 staff. The business, owners of Scottish Life and Scottish Provident, currently operates from two locations in the city.
THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT
OPEN STUDIOS: Step inside the hive of creativity that is the Wasps Studios in Riverside House on Gorgie Road. Meet local artists, discover unique works and see the artistic process unfold in artists’ studios. The Wasps’ Open Studios Day, runs from 11am to 6pm on Saturday.
ZOO LANTERNS: The giant lanterns return to Edinburgh Zoo for the first time in six years from Friday until February. Off peak adult tickets start from £19.
XMAS MARKETS: Saturday sees the launch of Edinburgh’s Christmas for 2026. Expect the usual Christmas Markets, funfair rides and more. Don’t forget to use your 20% EH Residents’ Discount when booking for rides and attractions.
QUICK BITES
BUN DEAL: Shakedown, the burger chain which first launched in Manchester, is to open its second Edinburgh venue on Friday when they open the doors at Milton Road West with some special offers, following the success of their venue at Corstorphine.
CAFÉ COUP: Haymarket Café at Haymarket Terrace has announced its delight at being awarded a TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Award, placing it in the top ten per cent of cafes and restaurants worldwide.