Over 500 employees working on World of Warcraft have unionized
More than 500 World of Warcraft staff members have unionized.
These developers, spanning roles such as designers, engineers, producers, artists, and quality assurance testers, have established the World of Warcraft Game Makers Guild under the Communications Workers of America (WoWGG-CWA). This is notable for being the first comprehensive union within Activision Blizzard.
This development also represents the largest unionization effort within a Microsoft-owned studio, signaling a significant shift in the video game industry’s labor landscape.
An additional 60 QA staff at Blizzard have affiliated with CWA and are now recognized as a union by Microsoft as well.
The team highlights that this milestone is part of a broader journey that began with employee protests and walkouts at Blizzard Entertainment headquarters in Irvine, California, in 2021. This was in response to Activision Blizzard's handling of a lawsuit filed by the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing over allegations of discrimination and sexual harassment. The lawsuit was later settled following Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision.
“Our unionization at World of Warcraft is just the first step," stated Eric Lanham, a test analyst and member of WoWGG-CWA. "Our aim is to ensure better wages, benefits, and job security through a strong union contract.
"When workers have a protected voice, it benefits employee standards, the studio, and enhances the gameplay experience for World of Warcraft fans. We are ready to tackle any challenges together, ensuring that all job titles within our union benefit equally,” he added.
Tom Smith, senior director of organizing at CWA, remarked: “The unionization by World of Warcraft workers signifies a pivotal moment in the broader movement for organizing video game industry workers.
"This achievement builds on the efforts that started with the Game Workers Unite movement at the Game Developers Conference, highlighting a strong commitment to transformative change."
Recently, nearly 250 employees at Bethesda Game Studios, known for Fallout and Elder Scrolls, also unionized under the Communication Workers of America.
"This success reflects the increasing momentum of worker organization within the video game industry and is expected to encourage more workers to unionize, raising the standards for pay, benefits, and worker rights across the industry," the CWA commented.
