A majority of the more than 500 Activision/Blizzard Entertainment employees who form the World of Warcraft (WOW) development team voted on Wednesday to form a union as part of the Communications Workers of America (CWA), according to a press release by the union.
A neutral arbitrator confirmed the vote, and Microsoft-owned Blizzard Entertainment recognized the union.
Eric Lanham, test analyst and member of the World of Warcraft Gamemakers Guild, spoke on the decision.
“What we’ve accomplished at World of Warcraft is just the beginning. My colleagues and I are embarking on a quest to secure better pay, benefits, and job security through a strong union contract,” Mr. Lanham said.
“Through our union, we’re ready to tank any obstacles, heal any wounds, and DPS through the challenges ahead. Together, we will ensure a full tier set bonus with the inclusion of all job titles in the same union,” he said.
“Like the legendary heroes of Azeroth, our union is forged in the fires of perseverance and resilience, and together, we will stand strong as the Alliance and the Horde to ensure a bright future for all.”
Mr. Lanham also asserted that the union was a win-win for the employees, for Blizzard, and for “World of Warcraft fans looking for the best gaming experience.”
A total of 1,750 video game workers at Microsoft now belong to the CWA.
According to CWA, some of the workers’ concerns include sweeping layoffs, the replacement of full-time salaried workers with temporary contract workers, and mandatory overtime when game development deadlines loom.
“The decision by workers on World of Warcraft to form a union marks a key inflection point in the broader movement for video game worker organizing industry-wide,” Senior Director of Organizing at CWA Tom Smith said, noting that WOW is one of the most successful online games in history.
“What seemed impossible six years ago is now a reality, and this is just the beginning. Together, workers are redefining their industry,” Mr. Smith added.
The WOW union is a “wall-to-wall” union, which means that all employees on the team are included.
The team is mostly located in Irvine, California, near Anaheim and Los Angeles. Some WOW workers are also located in Massachusetts.
Mr. Lanham confirmed to NTD News that his salary as a tester is only $55,000, far below other similar positions, and that mandatory overtime has made it difficult to see his child and spend time as a family.
“To live in Irvine costs a significant amount,” he said. “We don’t earn enough.”
WOW, positions at Blizzard include designers, engineers, producers, artists, quality assurance testers, and other game developers.
Microsoft acquired the company in 2023 for $69 billion, making it the third-largest gaming company in the world behind Tencent and Sony.
Microsoft has pledged to be neutral toward efforts by its workers to unionize, which meant that the WOW vote did not have to go through the process of oversight by the National Labor Relations Board.
Besides WOW, Activision Blizzard is also known for “Call of Duty,” “Warcraft,” “Overwatch,” “Hearthstone” and “Candy Crush.”
Activision/Blizzard Entertainment employs 13,000 video game workers, according to its last annual report released in December 2022. Microsoft’s stance could allow many more of them to unionize.
Earlier this year, Microsoft said that it would lay off 1,900 Activision/Blizzard and Xbox workers earlier this year despite its gaming division’s huge profits.
Another point of contention for some newly unionized workers is the use of AI in video game development, which is becoming expected by some companies and necessitated by layoffs in others.