Nearly 1,900 video game workers at multiple divisions of Microsoft-owned Blizzard Entertainment won their first union contracts in September after two years of bargaining.
The contracts are a significant win in an industry that has been hammered with layoffs, including by Microsoft.
Communications Workers of America (CWA), which represents the workers, said the contracts include artificial intelligence guardrails, severance packages for laid-off workers, a hybrid work schedule and other benefits. Laid-off employees will have recall rights, meaning they can be recalled into open jobs across unionized Blizzard divisions.
Blizzard is behind popular video game franchises like World of Warcraft, Diablo and Overwatch, which have separate unions. In 2022, Blizzard’s quality assurance testers at Raven Software formed a union. Microsoft signed an agreement with CWA before its 2023 purchase of Blizzard that it would not oppose union drives there. In 2024, World of Warcraft workers ratified the first wall-to-wall union at Blizzard.
The contracts ultimately were consolidated across Blizzard, creating a united front. “I feel like the future is quite bright for us as we continue our labor movement,” said Mahreen Fatima, a senior environment artist for Diablo. “Not just at Blizzard, but across the industry.”
Seattle Times, Sept. 9