One other group of builders has unionized at Blizzard Leisure. On Friday Might 9, 2025, the Communication Employees of America introduced the formation of the Overwatch Gamemakers Guild-CWA, an almost 200-person “wall-to-wall” union representing builders engaged on Blizzard’s Overwatch collection.
“Wall to wall” unions—like the type fashioned by Blizzard’s World of Warcraft growth group in 2024, are unions that embody everything of a enterprise bargaining group. These differ from the smaller discipline-based unions seen elsewhere on the firm, just like the Activision Blizzard-wide QA union fashioned in 2024 and the Raven Software program QA union fashioned in 2022 (the latter group has accused Activision Blizzard father or mother firm Microsoft of “unhealthy religion bargaining” over a union contract).
Overwatch Gamemakers Guild organizers Frank Le Cocq, Foster Elmendorf, and Jess Castillo defined within the announcement that the choice to unionize was sparked partially by the hundreds of layoffs throughout the online game business, over 1,900 of which have been executed by Xbox Recreation Studios after Microsoft completed buying Activision Blizzard.
“The large layoffs within the online game business—and at my very own studio—turned one of many first causes I began to find out about how you can arrange to create a more healthy office for everybody,” mentioned Le Cocque, including that the World of Warcraft union drive proved “empowering” to him and the organizing committee.
Microsoft-owned builders nonetheless face an uphill battle in labor organizing
Organizing unions below Microsoft and Xbox Recreation Studios has been made extra environment friendly by the worldwide software program firm’s 2022 “labor neutrality” settlement with the CWA, a still-unique accord meant to permit workers to unionize with out pushback from Microsoft.
However even with the profitable formation of unions at Raven Software program, ZeniMax, Bethesda Recreation Studios, and Blizzard Leisure, Microsoft hasn’t introduced that very same conciliatory tone to the contract bargaining desk. In April 2025 ZeniMax high quality assurance employees organized below the CWA voted to authorize a strike, saying the corporate has refused to make concessions on employee pay, outsourcing, and return-to-office necessities.
In the meantime, the Raven Software program QA employees union has accused Activision Blizzard father or mother firm Microsoft of “unhealthy religion bargaining” over a union contract. In each cases, Microsoft has publicly defended its place, saying it has made “honest” proposals throughout negotiations.
The battles could also be ongoing, however organizers have made clear they’d relatively be brawling with Microsoft attorneys than sitting on the sidelines. “Unionizing is about having a seat on the desk in order that we will work with management to construct higher, extra sustainable working circumstances,” mentioned Castillo. “Finally, after we’re supported and thriving, we will ship the absolute best experiences to our gamers, which is what introduced all of us right here within the first place.”
