Rockstar Games has publicly acknowledged the existence of an online component for Grand Theft Auto 6 for the first time, though not through an official announcement. Court documents submitted as part of an ongoing employment tribunal in Glasgow contain a reference to a highly confidential ‘online 32 player format’ that was being developed for the game.
The mention appeared in legal filings from Rockstar and parent company Take-Two Interactive. The documents were submitted in defense of the company’s decision to dismiss 34 developers in October 2025.
Details From the Legal Filings
According to the court documents, fired employees were ‘candidly referencing’ game features on a Discord server operated by the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain. The filing states that two individuals discussed ‘an online 32 player format which was highly confidential at that time.’
Rockstar described the information as ‘one of the most closely guarded secrets of the company.’ The studio compared its secrecy measures to those used by Apple for the iPhone and Coca-Cola for its formula.
The documents also cite witness evidence from Jennifer Kolbe, Rockstar’s studio director. Kolbe said that seeing team members share details about online player numbers for a confidential project was ‘extraordinarily alarming.’
The full passage from the legal filing reads: ‘Other Claimants in Room C were candidly referencing game features – one of the most closely guarded secrets of the company. Two discussed an online 32 player format which was highly confidential at that time.’
Jennifer Kolbe stated in her witness evidence: ‘To see team members sharing details regarding online player numbers for a confidential project, not yet in the public domain, was extraordinarily alarming.’
Previous Mentions in Earlier Documents
This is not the first time the 32-player figure has appeared in legal documents. In January 2026, preliminary hearing filings contained Discord messages from fired employees discussing the difficulty of organizing ‘large sessions’ of 32 players. Rockstar’s legal team described those messages at the time as relating to ‘highly confidential and commercially sensitive information relating to the content and features of an unannounced online service.’
The new wording in the September 2026 filings is more explicit, describing the information as ‘one of the most closely guarded secrets of the company.’ However, the documents do not confirm that GTA 6 Online will ultimately support 32 players. The reference only indicates that such a format was discussed internally. It remains unknown whether it will be included in the final version of the game.
The Employment Dispute
The legal filings are part of an employment tribunal that began on September 10 in Glasgow. Rockstar dismissed 34 employees in October 2025, and 23 are participating in the current proceedings. The Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain represents the former staff.
Rockstar claims the employees were dismissed for sharing confidential information on a union-run Discord server. The union and former staff argue the dismissals were motivated by union-busting activities. The final hearing is expected to run until at least October 15.
Security Measures Detailed in Filings
The court documents also revealed the extent of Rockstar’s security measures to protect GTA 6 information. The studio stated that ‘guarding the secrets of the unique gameplay and design are akin to Apple protecting the iPhone or Coke protecting its formula.’
Visitors must sign non-disclosure agreements before entering Rockstar premises. Photography is strictly prohibited. Contractors are escorted by security personnel.
Personal laptops, phones, and tablets are blocked from connecting to Rockstar’s internal systems. External storage devices are banned on office premises. Remote work is heavily restricted.
The company employs a full-time team of five investigators and one director to monitor for potential leaks. Privacy film was installed on some office windows after drones were used to photograph the inside of the building.
Rockstar linked these security measures to its efforts to prevent further GTA 6 leaks. The game has experienced multiple leaks, including a major data breach in 2022 and additional gameplay footage that circulated before the game’s extended premiere on Netflix.
Current Status of GTA 6 Online
Rockstar has not officially announced GTA 6 Online. The company has marketed GTA 6 primarily as a single-player experience.
Bloomberg journalist Jason Schreier reported in August 2026 that Rockstar does not plan to discuss the online component of GTA 6 anytime soon. Schreier stated that Take-Two is only discussing the game in terms of its single-player portion and has not indicated when a new online mode will be revealed.
The original GTA Online launched a few weeks after GTA 5 in 2013. Rockstar has confirmed it will continue supporting the existing GTA Online, which has operated for over a decade.
Grand Theft Auto 6 is scheduled to launch on November 19, 2026, for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.