Blizzard Entertainment has formed a new union, the Overwatch Gamemakers Guild, comprising about 200 developers of Overwatch 2. Organized under the Communications Workers of America (CWA), the union received overwhelming support from the staff and was recognized by Microsoft. This is the second wall-to-wall union at Activision Blizzard, indicative of a larger trend in the industry. The formation of this union comes after significant layoffs within the gaming sector, prompting developers to advocate for healthier work environments. The CWA's neutrality agreement with Microsoft has encouraged unionization at various studios, including those recently acquired.
"The massive layoffs in the video game industry, and at my own studio, became one of the first reasons I started to learn about how to organize to create a healthier workplace for everyone," VFX artist and organizing committee member Frank Le Cocq said.
"When we began our union efforts, it was empowering to know that our coworkers next door at World of Warcraft had already successfully gone through the process." - Frank Le Cocq.
This new union represents Overwatch 2 developers from across all disciplines, marking the second wall-to-wall union at Activision Blizzard.
Microsoft's neutrality agreement with CWA facilitates this wave of new unions, legally barring the company from interfering in unionization efforts.
Collection
[
|
...
]