Final week United Videogame Employees (UVW-CWA) made fairly the splash with a showy protest on the 2025 Recreation Awards in downtown Los Angeles. Armed with indicators, pretend tombstones, and leaflets, they briefly turned the celebration right into a funeral for the online game business. The Grim Reaper made an look. A digital billboard on the again of a dice truck drove up and down Figueroa St. And even an Amongst Us crew member stopped by to grieve all these misplaced.
Don’t be concerned, this wasn’t a case of vital misdiagnosis. Talking to Recreation Developer because the solar went down and the ceremony was about to start, the protest organizers defined they placed on the present to highlight the 1000’s of staff laid off by studios giant and small in 2025, and to forged a highlight on the CEOs and executives who ordered the cuts, a lot of whom had been on the present. (I believe I noticed Matt Booty dash by whereas I carried out my interview).
The gathering was an unconventional twist on the numerous protests staged outdoors the awards over the previous couple of years. With no ongoing strike or current main information occasion to peg the protest to, the group brainstormed a inventive method to get their message throughout—and their course of and motivation shone a light-weight on the place recreation business unionization could also be headed in 2026 and past.
A dirge for executives and a celebration for gamers
The UVW protestors set out that night to creatively catch the attention of two teams: attending executives and senior builders, together with gamers footing tons of of {dollars} to attend the awards in-person. “It is necessary to do not forget that we’re the explanation why they’ve a present,” stated UVW secretary Kaitlin “KB” Bonfiglio. They sported “wished” posters with the faces of Warner Bros. CEO David Zaslav, EA CEO Andrew Wilson, and Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick, together with their salaries offered in opposition to what the typical recreation developer makes.
Planning for the spectacle started a couple of months in the past and emerged out of a voting course of by UVW members—every thing from the funds to the technique happened by means of employee consensus. Regardless of the dour theming, UVW treasurer Sherveen Uduwana stated the aim was not solely to “acknowledge the hurt” but additionally to “construct pleasure” for what could be finished by means of unionizing.
Foolish protests with costumed characters have been fairly mainstream in 2025, with commentators like Sarah Jeong observing that they helped flip protests just like the No Kings Rallies into joyful affairs that felt extra like Disneyland than hellish warzones.
Most main business figures had simpler methods out and in of the Peacock theater (LA Stay safety solely allow them to method the small ice rink close to the theater’s edge after making an attempt to maintain them off the property), so it is unlikely the three males would have seen their very own faces. However, in a little bit of luck, the elevated variety of non-professionals attending the present labored out in UVW’s favor. As the road to enter the venue snaked across the nook, many acquired to talk with union organizers face-to-face.
“This ties into what gamers and the gaming viewers may be fascinated about,” commented Uduwana. “Numerous that overlaps with what they care about [like] rushed and buggy launches, video games which might be immediately canceled with out warning, launches that make it clear these firms are simply making an attempt to take your cash and do not care concerning the high quality of the product.”
These destructive occasions are, in line with the group, pushed by executives pursuing earnings on the expense of staff. “We would like to have the ability to do our jobs at a excessive degree of functionality. We would like the bosses to get out of the way in which and allow us to do these jobs. Permitting us to get our organizing wins goes to make greater high quality, extra thrilling, and extra formidable video games doable.”
A invoice of rights, firing protections, and company over the way in which video games are made
Going into 2026, Uduwana stated the group is making ready a “invoice of rights” for recreation staff that staff can use to establish instant phrases to lift in unionization drives. “That’s principally us speaking to staff this entire yr, understanding what the high-priority asks are going to be, and placing collectively…basically an organizing flooring that we are able to use for future campaigns.”
Employees searching for extra calls for from their employers can construct off of those phrases for what their studio particularly wants. As an illustration, if builders wished some means to take part in high-level choices a few recreation’s path or manufacturing course of, they may add that to their particular person negotiation phrases.
However one key line merchandise within the invoice of rights builders will need to pay attention to is expanded “Simply Trigger” rights in employee contracts. Simply Trigger phrases are supposed to shield in opposition to a variety of unfair firings, however the union representatives mentioned how builders want particular phrases for disciplinary motion over what’s posted on social media.
In 2025 a number of recreation business staff had been fired for posts made within the wake of the homicide of Charlie Kirk, generally following backlash from right-wing agitators on X. Strongly-worded phrases about what motion employers might take for what staff put up on their private social media accounts can protect staff from harassment campaigns.
“That has been one of many issues we have had for the reason that founding of UVW,” stated UVW vp “Audrey” (who requested to go by their first identify) with reference to on-line harassment of builders. “That was one of many subjects introduced up in our founding paperwork.”
Uduwana invited staff who need a say within the invoice of rights to achieve out to the union, saying the group’s success is consultant of how staff within the business come collectively to make video games. “United Videogame Employees is a useful resource for [developers]—particularly youthful recreation builders—coming into the business to see we’re able to fixing advanced issues with giant teams of staff coming collectively and democratically fixing issues.”
