Nearly 1,900 employees at Blizzard have voted to approve their initial union contract under Microsoft.

Blizzard Entertainment, now under Microsoft's umbrella, has finalized its inaugural union contract, which was approved via a vote involving nearly 1,900 employees.

Digital art illustration of a team-based video game battle, with characters on a red team facing off against characters on a blue team, separated by a bright light. The red team features a male character with a rifle, a female character with a large sword, and a female character with a gun and a robotic arm. The blue team features a male character with a masked face and sword, a female character with fiery elements, a robotic gorilla, and a cat in a mech suit.

Image credit: Blizzard

An article from Kotaku details new provisions that provide protections related to the use of generative AI, recognition, remote employment conditions, and job cuts in this agreement.

The union configuration has been streamlined into three major units. The first unit encompasses employees engaged in World of Warcraft, Blizzard QA, and Hearthstone; the second covers areas like platform technology, customer support, localization, and story development; and the third includes those involved in Diablo and Overwatch.

Following over two years of talks, the finalized agreement will remain in effect for four to five years, based on the negotiating unit. It mandates that both current and former employees are credited by name for titles they have worked on, defines certain jobs as hybrid with options for applying for full remote work, and outlines a detailed process for job termination with a 60-day advance notice or compensation in place of notice, severance equivalent to one week for every six months employed, and recall rights lasting 14 months. A successorship clause ensures the agreement's validity even if Blizzard is acquired by another firm.

The contract specifies that while AI tools are considered beneficial in aiding the game development phase, all AI-utilized procedures must be supervised for accuracy and quality, requiring negotiation before implementation if they significantly alter union members' work.

Blizzard president Johanna Faries expressed gratitude for the commitment of their employees during negotiations: "The ratification of these agreements marks a significant milestone and reflects our shared commitment to continuing to work together in support of our teams and our players."

In other developments, the Candy Crush creator King declined a collective bargaining agreement with Swedish unions Unionen and Sveriges Ingenjörer.

Several of Microsoft's businesses, including Activision, the parent company of King, have formed unions since 2022. Moreover, Raven Software emerged as the inaugural significant video game union in the U.S.