Rockstar Games Faces Renewed Criticism Over Tax Relief

Rockstar Games activities in the United Kingdom are once again attracting public attention — and not for the best reasons. This follows the release of details from the company’s 2024/25 financial year report (April 6 to April 5).

• Profit reached £87 million — the second-highest figure in the history. Over the past 10 years, total profit has exceeded £600M.
• Revenue amounted to £508 million, marking the fourth consecutive year it has surpassed the half-billion mark.
• Top executives received £85 million in royalties. The majority of these dividends go to the founding brothers — Sam Houser and Dan Houser. Unsurprisingly, they consistently rank among the wealthiest people in the UK.
• More than £70 million was received through the Video Games Tax Relief (VGTR) scheme. Over nearly 12 years since the program’s introduction — which refunds up to 20% of production costs to encourage media development — the total claimed has reached £504M.

It is this last point that has sparked a fresh wave of heated debate. The discussion has been fueled by representatives of the Independent Workers of Great Britain, who are currently in a dispute with the company over employee dismissals.

In previous years, the practice of major hit makers such as GTA 5 and RDR 2 receiving taxpayer funds had already caused public outrage.

In a statement to The Scotsman, Rockstar said:

Since the introduction of VGTR in 2014, company has invested enormously in the United Kingdom, creating more than a thousand jobs in the creative sector across Scotland and England. Rockstar’s commitment to local investment has helped put the UK at the cutting edge of entertainment globally and contributed significantly to UK economic growth, skills and innovation.