Wizards of the Coast has communicated with its employees to clarify "how union representation works" as the studio gears up for a unionization vote

In a communication addressed to its team members, Wizards of the Coast cautioned that unionizing could potentially result in employees receiving more, the same, or less than they do currently. The message emphasized that "your voice is strongest when it is heard directly." According to a report by Kotaku and corroborated by GameDeveloper, this stance was detailed in a letter to staff dated May 14. It was noted that while forming a union is a personal choice, it suggested a stronger future through direct collaboration.

The decision on whether to unionize will be put to a vote by the employees with the National Labor Relations Board scheduled for June 2. The communication urged staff to evaluate if they prefer representation by the CWA or maintaining a direct relationship with management.

The letter, allegedly from the studio's leadership, underscored the importance of employees being well-informed to make this choice. Management expressed appreciation for the team's daily endeavors and outlined the implications of choosing union representation, explaining that the CWA would negotiate terms of employment, including wages and benefits. The results of such negotiations are not predetermined and could take a considerable amount of time.

If the workers opt against union representation, Wizards of the Coast intends to continue direct interactions with its employees. The correspondence, attributed to current WotC president John Hight, highlighted the advantages of this flexibility compared to a standard union contract.

Recently, Wizards of the Coast and Hasbro did not meet the deadline to recognize a union formed by developers of Magic: The Gathering Arena, supported by the Communication Workers of America, who had sought recognition by May 1.

Earlier this month, Double Fine Productions, known for developing Psychonauts, filed to unionize, backed by the CWA.

Since 2022, multiple Microsoft subsidiaries have embraced unionization. Raven Software became the pioneering major video game union in the US. Others, like Activision Quality Assurance United-CWA, OneBGS (Bethesda Game Studios), and World of Warcraft Game Makers Guild, have followed suit. Additional unions include the QA divisions at Blizzard in Albany and Austin, the Activision User Research Union-CWA, the Overwatch Gamemakers Guild-CWA, and the Diablo developers.