Key Takeaways
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- There was an incident at Rockstar Norths Edinburgh studio involving a boiler malfunction that triggered reports of an explosion, causing structural damage. No injuries were reported.
- The incident occurred during a sensitive period for Rockstar North, who are currently involved in a labor dispute with 31 laid-off developers over union-busting allegations.
- Despite initial concerns about potential long-term effects, Rockstar North has stated that all staff are well and the offices are open and fully operational.
- The exact cause of the boiler malfunction is yet to be disclosed, with further updates on the labor dispute pending at a Glasgow Employment Tribunal.
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On Monday, January 19, an incident at Rockstar North’s Edinburgh studio, developers of the Grand Theft Auto series, prompted a response from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. At approximately 5:00 AM, emergency services were dispatched to the Holyrood Road location following an alarm and reports of a possible explosion. Initial reports indicated a significant response, with seven fire and rescue vehicles and specialized units arriving at the scene. The incident, involving a reported explosion in the boiler room, occurred when few employees were likely present. Firefighters remained on site for about three hours, securing the building after noting structural damage. Fortunately, no injuries were reported. Rockstar later clarified the situation to GamesIndustry.biz, stating that the incident was due to a boiler malfunction. The studio expressed gratitude to those who voiced their concern, as well as to the emergency responders for their swift action. Reports now indicate that the incident involved an explosion, rather than a simple malfunction, and that the structural damage was more severe than initially suggested by the three-hour emergency response.
The incident occurred amidst an ongoing labor dispute between Rockstar North and a group of 31 developers who were laid off after attempting to unionize. These former employees claim they were targeted for their organizing efforts, while Rockstar maintains the terminations were due to breaches of confidentiality, including leaks about development and gameplay on a union Discord channel. A Glasgow Employment Tribunal judge recently denied the union’s request for immediate back pay, but a final decision in the case is pending. Rockstar Games has denied that the layoffs were related to union activity. Despite earlier reports suggesting structural damage, Rockstar stated that all staff are well, and the offices are open and fully operational. Emergency services confirmed this account of events; the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service reported they were alerted at 5:02 AM and left the site by 9:21 AM after determining the building’s structure was secure. The exact cause of the boiler malfunction has not been disclosed.
Union Dispute Amidst Boiler Malfunction at Rockstar North’s GTA Studio – Firefighters Secure Building, Operations Resume Swiftly
This incident occurred during a sensitive period for Rockstar North, which has faced criticism from the IWGB Game Workers union over alleged union-busting practices related to the recent layoffs. Despite this, development of GTA 6 is reportedly continuing as scheduled for release on November 19, 2026, after two previous delays. Rockstar North, makers of Grand Theft Auto, shared additional details about the January 19 incident with IGN. These details include the initial alarm activation at their Edinburgh building in the morning due to a boiler malfunction. Emergency services were called after the alarm triggered reports of a possible explosion. Seven vehicles from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and specialized resources were deployed to secure the building, taking approximately three hours. No injuries were reported, and the malfunction originated from the boiler room. Rockstar thanked those who expressed concern as well as law enforcement and firefighters for their swift intervention. According to Rockstar, all staff are in good health, and offices are now open and fully operational. Emergency services confirmed these details.
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