A majority of Hearthstone and Warcraft Rumble developers have formed a union with the Communications Workers of America (CWA). The newly organized unit will become members of CWA Local 9510 in Irvine, California.
Activision Blizzard’s parent company, Microsoft, has recognized the union, which includes over 100 workers such as software engineers, artists, quality assurance testers, and producers. This move comes amid a growing wave of unionization efforts within Microsoft and its subsidiaries, as thousands of employees seek better working conditions and greater control over their futures in response to mass layoffs, project cancellations, and studio closures.
Earlier this week, more than 400 employees within Blizzard’s Platform & Technology department successfully voted to unionize. In August, over 450 Diablo developers also formed a union under the CWA. Prior to that, a group of more than 500 Blizzard Entertainment employees—including the entire World of Warcraft development team—established a wall-to-wall union aimed at raising industry-wide expectations for pay, benefits, and respect for workers’ rights.
The Hearthstone and Warcraft Rumble developers who chose to unionize now hope to follow in their colleagues’ footsteps in fighting for a brighter future. “Whether we are fighting for layoff protections, security for our remote workers, or reduced wage gaps, the pressures we face are making it harder to create the high-quality work we care about,” said organizing committee member and senior 2D artist Uriah Voth. “Organizing gives us the opportunity to empower ourselves and challenge the instability and unfair conditions that undermine us.”
CWA Local 9510 President Jason Justice added, “Today’s news is more proof that creativity and collective power can go hand-in-hand. These are some of the most talented developers and artists in the industry, and their decision to form a union sends a clear message that building great games starts with respecting those who are behind them.”
https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/hearthstone-and-warcraft-rumble-developers-unionize-to-combat-instability-and-unfair-conditions-