Blizzard Developers Form First Union at Microsoft

Blizzard Entertainment's World of Warcraft developers have successfully formed a wall-to-wall union, known as the World of Warcraft Gamemakers Guild, with 500 members spanning various departments including QA, art, sound, design, engineering, and production. This union, recognized by Microsoft and part of the Communications Workers of America (CWA), marks a significant step in the ongoing unionization movement within the video game industry, which has seen increased activity due to recent layoffs and the desire for better working conditions. The formation of the guild reflects a collective push for improved pay, benefits, and job security, driven by employee dissatisfaction with Blizzard's handling of discrimination claims and corporate responses. Additionally, the establishment of this union raises the total number of unionized game developers at Microsoft to approximately 1,750, highlighting a broader trend of organizing within the gaming sector. Microsoft has expressed support for employees' rights to unionize, signaling a potential shift in the corporate landscape of the video game industry. This unionization trend follows similar efforts at other studios, such as Bethesda, which recently established its own union.