A report indicates that an explosion has occurred at the Rockstar North building in Edinburgh, with fire crews attending the scene. Early information suggests the incident is linked to a boiler.
The incident occurred at 5:02am on January 19, 2026. At the time of writing, there are no reports of deaths or injuries.
Emergency have services responded to Rockstar North
An emergency call was made at 5.02am on Holyrood Road in Edinburgh, prompting a response from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. Police also attended the scene and cordoned off the area surrounding the Rockstar North building while the incident was investigated.
Early reports suggest the incident was linked to an explosion in a boiler room inside the building. Emergency crews remained on site for several hours before later leaving the scene.
Fortunately, no injuries or fatalities have been reported as a result of the incident, and as of 9.21am UK time, responders have left the scene.
A spokesperson for Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SRFS) said:
We were alerted at 5.02am on Monday, 19 January to attend an incident on Holyrood Road, Edinburgh. Operations Control mobilised three fire appliances and specialist resources to the scene, where firefighters worked to secure structural damage at a commercial building. There were no reported casualties and crews left the scene at 9.21am.
SRFS Spokesperson
Will GTA 6 be impacted?
It remains unclear whether the development of GTA 6 will be affected by the incident, though Rockstar has faced internal controversy in recent years. This has included staff being dismissed following leaks related to the upcoming title.
The Rockstar North offices affected by the explosion are also the studio previously linked to unionisation efforts and workplace disputes. Staff have staged protests outside the Edinburgh office, and there have been allegations that some layoffs were connected to union activity, claims Rockstar has denied.
However, this studio is not believed to be directly linked to the internal leaks that led to staff being dismissed for breaching confidentiality, which were handled elsewhere within Rockstar Games.
GTA 6 has already been delayed twice, and is currently slated to launch on November 19, 2026. If it does hit that date, there's absolutely no doubt that even in such a short time, it will end the year as one of, if not the biggest releases.
There hasn't been a game in recent memory that has generated as much hype as GTA 6, not least because it will have been 13 years (if it hits the currently planned release date) since GTA V launched. The current game remains one of the most played every year, so it doesn't take a lot to expect GTA 6 to become one of the all-time winners.
That's even considering a PC launch currently hasn't been confirmed.
Do you think this incident could have any impact on GTA 6’s development, or will production continue as planned? Share your thoughts in the comments and make to take part in our poll below:
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