Necroptosis and pyroptosis are lytic and inflammatory types of programmed cell death that require the membrane destruction predominantly driven by the mixed lineage kinase domain-like (MLKL) and gasdermin D (GSDMD), respectively. However, the crosstalk between them remains largely unknown. Here, we disclose that inositol-requiring enzyme-1α (IRE-1α) is a potential modulator of both necroptosis and pyroptosis, particularly in liver pathology. In vivo, we found that pharmacological suppression of IRE-1α resulted in serious acute liver failure, which may be attributable to the downregulation of GSDMD and caspase-8 while remarkable upregulation of necroptosis markers receptor-interacting serine/threonine-protein kinase 1 (RIPK1), RIPK3 and MLKL. However, by using thapsigargin (THP) to moderately restore the IRE-1α level, liver failure was distinctly alleviated. Conversely, ER stressor tunicamycin (TM) promoted IRE-1α activity, which initiated liver pyroptosis by increasing GSDMD and NLRP3. But maintaining the IRE-1α balance by moderate inhibition of IRE-1α effectively improved mouse survival. In vitro, we demonstrated that inhibition of IRE-1α led to distinct necroptosis accompanied by the reduction of GSDMD in LO-2 cells and mouse primary hepatocytes. Nevertheless, by using lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to specifically inspire the GSDMD level, necroptosis was obvious ameliorated. In addition, overexpression of IRE-1α in LO-2 cells obviously increased pyroptotic markers, such as GSDMD and NLRP3, but downregulated the necroptosis markers p-MLKL and p-RIPK3. In conclusion, enhanced expression of IRE-1α triggers hepatic pyroptosis, while IRE-1α deficiency activates hepatic necroptosis, and both processes are closed related to the activity of GSDMD in mice. So, IRE-1α may be a promising therapeutic target in tissue injuries.