Over 500 workers at Blizzard Entertainment, the game studio behind the popular roleplaying video game World of Warcraft, have managed to form a union that represents the entire developing team.

Employees have been pressuring Microsoft, the parent company of Blizzard, since March this year to improve their working conditions and make sure that they are adequately compensated for the heavy workloads and extensive hours they put down.

The newly formed union was named the World of Warcraft Game Makers Guild (WoWGG-CWA) and is comprised of designers, engineers, artists, quality assurance testers, and other workers in similar positions.

The formation of a union is a rare occurrence in the industry that could be used as a precedent by employees from other videogame companies to push for better work environments and conditions.

Over 1,000 Workers Have Unionized Within Blizzard Already

Blizzard Entertainment has around 10,000 employees according to the latest estimates and after accounting for Microsoft’s decision to lay off 1,900 workers. Although this union represents roughly 5% of the company’s total workforce, it comes to join another large group of 600 workers that recently unionized as well.

Most of the workers the WowGG-CWA union covers are based in Irvine, California where the company’s main campus is located.

One of the workers involved in the formation of the union explained that they were inspired by the company’s mantra of “every voice matters”. The union advocated to improve the conditions of all roles and positions.

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The job cuts performed earlier in January this year further motivated employees to organize. They will now have a saying if the company decides to once again perform massive layoffs and retain talent whenever possible.

While the specific bargaining priorities will be determined through member surveys, conversations among the team have highlighted several key areas of concern:

  1. Layoff protections.
  2. Improved work-from-home policies.
  3. Transparency around performance and promotions.
  4. Pay adjustments to align with the high cost of living in their areas.

Another employee for Blizzard mentioned that they needed better pay, benefits, and job security. He noted that his salary was $55,000, far below what competitors offered on average for his role. Naturally, this salary is simply insufficient to cover the minimum living expenses within the Irvine area.

Microsoft Responds Positively to Unionization Efforts

Microsoft (MSFT) acquired Blizzard last year and responded positively to workers’ decision to unionize. A spokesperson for the company commented:

“We continue to support our employees’ right to choose how they are represented in the workplace. We will engage in good faith negotiations with the CWA as we work towards a collective bargaining agreement.”

This is quite a striking reaction as most tech giants oppose unionization efforts and it could set a major precedent in the industry as workers from other companies could rise up to form their own unions as well, emboldened by what Blizzard workers achieved for themselves.

Unionization efforts have been increasing across the country in all kinds of industries. Companies almost always push back against them as unions give more power to the workers. Workers have long complained about the industry’s harsh working conditions which typically include low pay, long hours, a stressful work environment, temporary contracts, and tight deadlines.

Some notable examples of recent unionization efforts in the videogame industry include:

  1. QA staff at Raven Software and Blizzard Albany successfully unionized under the CWA flag after a long strike in 2022.
  2. Workers at Bethesda Game Studios voted in favor of unionizing last month.
  3. Approximately 600 QA workers at Activision Blizzard formed the largest certified union in U.S. video game history in March 2024.
  4. Bethesda Game Studios Montreal employees filed for certification with the Quebec Labor Board in June 2024.

Next Step: Negotiating a Union Agreement with Employers

union members are declining in the us

Now the WoWGG-CWA union needs to elect a commission that will negotiate the terms of a contract with Blizzard for the developing team. This process is typically time-consuming and complex.

However, it is necessary to move forward and achieve what the union has set forth to accomplish – improving the working conditions of the workers it represents. The outcome could set important precedents for the industry and influence its usual practices.

Paul Cox, a senior quest designer at Blizzard Entertainment, expressed the sentiment behind the unionization effort: “As industrywide layoffs ramped up, it started to feel like we were lines on a spreadsheet, where people we can’t see are making decisions for us. We want to make sure our voice has equal standing.”

The video game industry has faced numerous challenges in recent years including mass layoffs, studio closures, and controversies surrounding the use of artificial intelligence in game development.

The formation of unions like the WoWGG-CWA represents a proactive approach by workers to address these issues and have a say when it comes to shaping the future of their industry.

However, despite the many benefits that unions typically provide to workers, the overall trend has been struggling for decades as fewer workers have been associating with these entities (at least partially due to anti-union laws). Experts cite a shift from manufacturing to services jobs and more robust workplace regulations that protect employees without the need to resort to unions.

Wall-to-Wall Unions Highlight a Company-Wide Discontent with Working Conditions

The WoWGG-CWA’s status as a wall-to-wall union is significant for the industry as this type of union, which is made up of workers from different departments and without very different roles in the company’s structure, is not common in the videogame industry.

“It is really, really great that we are a wall-to-wall union. We’re all in it together, and it’s a signal that QA is dev as well. I am especially excited for that signal to go out to the rest of the industry. [QA employees] work with us every single day. Their desks are next to our desks. So, I hope that we can win better workplace protections for everyone on the team.”, commented Kathryn Friesen, a quest designer on the WoW team, commented.

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The formation of the World of Warcraft Game Makers Guild represents a significant milestone in the ongoing evolution of the video game industry. As the largest wall-to-wall union currently under Microsoft’s umbrella, it has the potential to set new standards for worker representation and collective bargaining in the tech and gaming sectors.

Tom Smith, CWA’s Senior Director of Organizing, emphasized the historic nature of this development: “The decision by workers on World of Warcraft to form a union marks a key inflection point in the broader movement for game worker organizing industry-wide. What seemed impossible six years ago is now a reality.”

As the WoWGG-CWA moves forward with contract negotiations and begins to address the concerns of its members, the rest of the industry will be watching closely. The success or failure of this union could have far-reaching implications for worker rights, game development practices, and the overall structure of the sector for years to come.