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Activision Blizzard’s ‘World of Warcraft’ game developers vote to unionize

BBG News

As a film enthusiast and someone who closely follows the gaming industry, I find this news about the unionization of Blizzard Entertainment’s “World of Warcraft” development team truly remarkable. This is yet another significant step forward in the growing movement for game worker organizing.

As an avid fan and follower of the gaming community, I’m thrilled to share that over 500 dedicated game developers at Blizzard Entertainment, the creative powerhouse behind “World of Warcraft,” have chosen to establish a union. This announcement signifies another significant stride in the growing trend of unionization within the video game industry.

Approximately 300 employees voted to affiliate with Communications Workers of America Local 9510 in a vote overseen by an impartial arbiter on Wednesday, as per the union’s announcement. Seventeen employees expressed opposition. Microsoft-owned Blizzard Entertainment has acknowledged the union’s presence.

Workers, including Eric Lanham, a testing analyst with nearly a decade of experience at Blizzard Entertainment and a member of the union’s planning team, are aiming to tackle concerns relating to work hours, compensation, promotion processes clarity, flexible work arrangements, and job security protections.

“Workers in World of Warcraft reaching a decision to unionize signifies a significant turning point in the larger effort towards game worker unionization across the industry,” Tom Smith, CWA’s organizing senior director, stated. “An achievement once thought unattainable six years ago has now become a reality.”

A significant number of the newly formed labor union members at the “World of Warcraft” development team are situated in Irvine, California, which is where Blizzard Entertainment’s headquarters are found. This team consists of various professionals such as designers, engineers, producers, artists, quality assurance testers, and other game developers based in Irvine as well as Massachusetts.

Lanham shared that the compulsory extra hours at work have affected him and his family, limiting their ability to spend time together. He earns approximately $55,000 a year as a test analyst, which he considers inadequate compared to what similar jobs pay.

“To live in Irvine costs a significant amount,” he said. “We don’t earn enough.”

As an avid gamer and a huge fan, I can tell you that Blizzard Entertainment is a remarkable part of Activision Blizzard, which is the biggest game company based in the Americas.

In 2008, Activision, based in Santa Monica, combined with Blizzard Entertainment’s parent company to form Activision Blizzard. This entertainment powerhouse is recognized for hit games like “Call of Duty,” “Warcraft,” “Overwatch,” “Hearthstone,” and “Candy Crush.” In 2023, Microsoft Corp., a leading tech company, acquired Activision Blizzard.

According to the latest annual report, the major player in video gaming industry employed approximately 13,000 people by the end of 2022.

Microsoft agreed not to interfere in the worker unionization effort, allowing for a less formal union election process without NLRB oversight.

Microsoft’s commitment, which sets it apart from most other tech companies with few unions, might facilitate the unionization process for thousands more employees. Currently, over 1,750 Microsoft video game workers are part of the Communications Workers of America (CWA) union.

Microsoft’s representative stated, “We respect our employees’ freedom to decide on their labor representation. We look forward to constructive talks with the CWA in pursuit of a mutually beneficial collective bargaining contract.”

More recently, employees in the video game sector have grown more vocal about their grievances regarding their employment terms. They’ve expressed concerns over short-term contracts with minimal job security and heavy pressure to complete games before deadlines. The industry has faced controversy as well due to layoffs and employee protests against the integration of artificial intelligence into their roles.

Recently, Microsoft announced that it would let go of approximately 1,900 employees from Activision Blizzard and Xbox. According to Wired’s latest report, with the workforce being shrunken, some concept artists at Activision Blizzard are now utilizing AI to help them generate 2D images as a coping mechanism.

Paul Cox, a senior quest designer at Blizzard Entertainment responsible for creating the stories in “World of Warcraft,” expressed that as mass layoffs became more common, it seemed as if we were mere numbers on a spreadsheet, with unseen individuals making decisions for us.

“We want to make sure our voice has equal standing,” he said.

In May 2022, employees at Raven Software, a subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, who test video games, chose to join the Communications Workers of America union. This marks a first for an American gaming company. They had previously gone on strike for several weeks before making this decision.

On Wednesdays update, “World of Warcraft” employees made an announcement following the successful unionization of workers at another Microsoft-owned studio. Last week, approximately 240 employees at Bethesda Game Studios in Maryland, known for producing “The Elder Scrolls” and “Fallout” series, expressed their support for the union.

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2024-07-26 14:28

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