A year after Microsoft’s $70 billion acquisition of Activision-Blizzard and amidst widespread layoffs across the gaming industry, a core group of Blizzard developers has successfully voted to unionize. This historic move is a direct response to the volatile video games market, which has seen a contraction in spending after years of growth.
The global interactive entertainment industry is facing an uncertain economic climate, driving publishers to cut costs and reduce expenses. This has resulted in mass layoffs across the industry, with tens of thousands of jobs being eliminated. Amidst this turmoil, some of the largest game development teams are unionizing, seeking to bring stability and bargaining power to the creative professionals within the $180 billion games market.
The Communication Workers of America (CWA) announced that Blizzard’s World of Warcraft team has formed the World of Warcraft Game Makers Guild – CWA Union (WoWGG-CWA). This union represents over 500 developers, including designers, engineers, producers, artists, quality assurance testers, and other game developers. The WoWGG-CWA is the first wall-to-wall union at Activision Blizzard and the largest at a Microsoft-owned studio.
In a statement to Bloomberg, Microsoft has acknowledged the union and expressed its willingness to engage in good faith negotiations. “We continue to support our employees’ right to choose how they are represented in the workplace, and we will engage in good faith negotiations with the CWA as we work towards a collective bargaining agreement,” Microsoft stated.
Warcraft remains one of the most lucrative video game franchises globally, with World of Warcraft generating over $9 billion in lifetime revenue as of 2017. It is considered one of Activision Blizzard’s top three game franchises and boasts tens of millions of monthly subscribers. The unionization of the World of Warcraft team underscores the growing concerns of game developers regarding job security, working conditions, and fair compensation within the evolving video games industry. This historic move could set a precedent for other game development teams seeking greater representation and a stronger voice in their workplace.
