Nearly 200 developers from Activision Blizzard, known for the popular Overwatch series, have successfully formed a union. The new group, called the Overwatch Gamemakers Guild, is organized under the Communications Workers of America (CWA). This marks the latest unionization effort at Blizzard, following similar actions by the World of Warcraft team last July.
According to an announcement from the CWA on Friday, “an overwhelming majority of workers have either signed a union authorization card or indicated that they wanted union representation.” The new union includes game developers involved in production, engineering, design, art, sound, and quality assurance, with goals centered on enhancing job security, salary, and protections against layoffs.
Foster Elmendorf, a member of the organizing committee, expressed excitement about the union’s formation in a CWA statement. “After a long history of layoffs, crunch, and subpar working conditions in the global video game industry, my coworkers and I are thrilled to be joining the broader union effort to organize our industry for the better, which has been long overdue,” he stated.
The backdrop to this unionization comes amid allegations of a toxic workplace and instances of sexual harassment at Activision Blizzard. These claims surfaced following a lawsuit filed by the state of California in 2021, before the company’s acquisition by Microsoft in 2023. Former CEO Bobby Kotick has denied responsibility for the reported abuse, attributing the issues to labor organizers. After Microsoft acquired Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion, the company agreed to a $54 million settlement regarding the lawsuit.
The CWA now claims that over 2,600 employees across Microsoft-owned gaming studios have joined its ranks. This includes a union formed by 600 quality assurance workers at Activision in March 2024. These recent unionization efforts have been supported by a labor neutrality agreement signed between the CWA and Microsoft in 2022, which facilitates the organization process for employees at subsidiaries like Activision Blizzard.
