Yesterday, Blizzard Entertainment workers, represented by CWA, voted to ratify historic union contracts with the Microsoft-owned company, securing an unprecedented victory for the video game industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After two years of bargaining, nearly 1,900 video game workers have won a breakthrough first contract, whose terms will now extend to all units across Blizzard\u2019s game teams and shared services, including union-represented workers at World of Warcraft, Quality Assurance, Hearthstone and Warcraft Rumble, Overwatch, Diablo, and Blizzard\u2019s Platform & Technology and Story and Franchise Development units.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The union contracts reinforce several workplace benefits that set industry-wide standards for video game workers in the United States. Alongside wage increases, grievance procedures, a three-day in-office hybrid workweek, \u201cjust cause\u201d protections, and remote work and disability accommodations, the contracts now require Blizzard to discuss, evaluate, and bargain over the use of artificial intelligence in the workplace. In an industry first, the new union contracts give workers the right to be \u201crecalled\u201d into open positions across any Blizzard bargaining unit for 14 months from the date of their layoff announcement. Members have also secured an extra four weeks of severance for union workers, regardless of their tenure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Prior to its acquisition by Microsoft in 2023, Blizzard Entertainment bore a reputation for toxicity, with a highly permissive corporate culture often turning a blind eye to instances of misogyny, homophobia, and racism. Since the purchase, however, the company has seen a stark reversal, rising from the ashes, with positive labor relations playing a central role. This groundbreaking collective bargaining agreement is the latest evidence of this. The new leadership at Blizzard has embraced the spirit of cooperation necessary for positive labor relations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been at Blizzard for 20 years because I love this company and the amazing people I work with. This contract secures a lot of what people already love about working here while adding strong protections around layoffs, job security, and remote work,\u201d said Platform & Technology bargaining committee member and Principal Software Engineer Daniel Weltz. \u201cBlizzard helped shape the gaming industry, and I\u2019m proud that this contract allows us to continue setting new standards for this work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n