Game On: Understanding why game makers at Blizzard and Bethesda are forming unions

As studios around the world struggle to get new projects off the ground and as a singular focus on maximizing shareholders’ return sees large companies tap into the utopian dream of generative AI, employees in the gaming industry have begun to unionize to protect their livelihoods and rights.

The last year has been extremely difficult for the video game industry, with over 20,000 employees laid off globally despite 2023 being one of the best years for the industry both financially and in terms of critical acclaim.

As studios around the world struggle to get new projects off the ground and as a singular focus on maximizing shareholders’ return sees large companies tap into the utopian dream of generative AI, employees in the gaming industry have begun to unionize to protect their livelihoods and rights.

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Last week alone has seen workers at two Microsoft-owned game studios, Blizzard and Bethesda, form unions by utilizing an agreement that Microsoft made with the Communication Workers of America (CWA) union during the acquisition of Activision Blizzard in 2022. The agreement, which requires Microsoft to adopt a “neutral stance” when employees chose to form unions, was initially only applicable to employees of Activision Blizzard. However, as union formation documents reveal, the agreement now also covers employees of Bethesda’s parent firm, Zenimax.

In some of the largest unionization efforts in the video game industry, Bethesda’s union witnessed 241 employees agree to form a union last week, while the number is at 500 for the makers of World of Warcraft at Blizzard. Blizzard’s union, called “The World of Warcraft Game Makers Guild,” is described as a wall-to-wall union, meaning every employee that is part of the WoW team is part of the union, irrespective of the nature of their role and responsibilities.

Early reports indicate that job security and negotiation for fair wages are likely to be the primary areas the two unions will focus on.

While the idea of a union in the global tech sector might seem anachronistic and incongruous, it is important to observe that the video game industry has been plagued with issues such as harassment, discrimination, poor working conditions, unique demands of labor during crunch time, and incessant layoffs that are often not dictated by financial rationale.

In the context of Blizzard, union formation almost seems like a course correction, especially considering that prior to their Microsoft acquisition, the formation of a union at the studio would have been impossible.

However, it is important for us, as watchers of the video game industry, to temper our expectations from these new unions. We must wait and see what they collectively bargain for and how effectively they can address the long-standing issues within the industry. One crucial moment to watch will be how these unions position themselves in the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike by video game performers, who are requesting protection for their livelihoods as they fear the unfair appropriation of their likenesses and voices by AI-driven technology.

It is important that game makers choose to ally with such efforts, as they are likely to receive similar support if AI-driven tech begins to replace designers and developers in game making.

The creation of the two unions in Microsoft’s gaming empire is momentous news, and the timing seems just right. The potential for these unions to improve the lives of their members is significant, as they could collectively bargain for better pay, work conditions, timelines, and remote work, while also ensuring job security. Who knows, in the process, game makers might start having just as much fun as their players?