World of Warcraft employees gain union recognition with CWA

Over 500 workers at the World of Warcraft development team have joined CWA and Microsoft subsidiary Blizzard Entertainment has recognized their union. The World of Warcraft Game Makers Guild - CWA Union (WoWGG-CWA), which includes designers, engineers, producers, artists, quality assurance testers, and other game developers, is the first wall-to-wall union at Activision Blizzard and the largest wall-to-wall union at a Microsoft-owned studio. A neutral arbitrator confirmed today that a majority of the workers have either signed a union authorization card or indicated that they wanted union representation via an online portal. Achieving union recognition is a significant milestone in a journey that began when employees walked out and rallied at Blizzard Entertainment HQ in Irvine, CA, in 2021 to protest Activision Blizzard’s response to a discrimination and sexual harassment lawsuit brought by the state of California, which was settled after Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision.

“What we’ve accomplished at World of Warcraft is just the beginning. My colleagues and I are embarking on a quest to secure better pay, benefits, and job security through a strong union contract. We know that when workers have a protected voice, it’s a win-win for employee standards, the studio, and World of Warcraft fans looking for the best gaming experience,” said Eric Lanham, Test Analyst and member of WoWGG-CWA. “Like the legendary heroes of Azeroth, our union is forged in the fires of perseverance and resilience, and together, we will stand strong as the Alliance and the Horde to ensure a bright future for all."

Workers organized under the labor neutrality agreement between CWA and Microsoft, which took effect upon the completion of the company’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Over 1,750 video game workers at Microsoft now have union representation with CWA.

The World of Warcraft Gamemakers Guild-CWA join their CWA union siblings at ZeniMax, Activision, SEGA of America, Tender Claws and Blizzard. The growing movement for worker rights and improved conditions in the video game industry comes at a time when sweeping layoffs and the endemic issue of “crunch” threaten workers’ livelihoods in spite of the industry’s enormous profits.

“The decision by workers on World of Warcraft to form a union marks a key inflection point in the broader movement for video game worker organizing industry-wide. This victory, built on years of foundation work since the launch of the Game Workers Unite movement at GDC, reflects a deeply rooted commitment to change. Unionizing one of the most successful games ever signifies the rising power of worker solidarity across the industry, from AAA studios like SEGA and Bethesda to indie developers. What seemed impossible six years ago is now a reality, and this is just the beginning. Together, workers are redefining their industry. Up until now, my proudest WoW moment was successfully main-tanking RoS as a prot warrior, stance-dancing with no off-tank back during TBC. But what these amazing workers have done today leaves that in the dust," said Tom Smith, Senior Director of Organizing at CWA.

As further evidence of the growing effort to successfully organize the video game industry, a group of 60 quality assurance workers at Blizzard Entertainment in Austin, Texas, also joined CWA and were recognized by Microsoft as a union. These Blizzard employees work on franchises such as Diablo, Hearthstone, and various QA support teams. Their union was certified by a neutral arbitrator who verified majority support through a similar process.

The wave of organizing in the video game industry continues to accelerate and build on the foundations CWA has laid. WoWGG-CWA becomes just the second wall-to-wall union at a Microsoft-owned studio, following closely on the heels of the 241 workers at Bethesda Game Studios who joined CWA over the summer.

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World of Warcraft employees gain union recognition with CWA (CWA, July 24, 2024)