Another major union is forming in the video game space as over 450 developers of Blizzard’s Diablo franchise have voted to unionize.
The Communication Workers of America (CWA) has announced that the developers will be a member of one of three available unions—CWA Local 9510 in Irvine, Calif.; CWA Local 1118 in Albany, N.Y.; and CWA Local 6215 in Austin, Texas. The employees joining include developers, artists, engineers, designers and support staffs.
According to the CWA, the new union is “one of the largest wall-to-wall unions at a Microsoft-owned studio.” It also comes just weeks after Blizzard’s Story and Franchise Development teams voted to unionize.
“I grew up playing Diablo, and I feel lucky that I get to work at Blizzard on a game that’s very special to me and the gaming community,” Diablo software engineer Skye Hoefling said. “But passion can’t protect us from job instability. Our union allows us to focus on making magical experiences for our players instead of worrying about the unstable job industry.”
Designer Ryan Littleton added that the last round of Microsoft layoffs had him more determined to make sure employees are taken care of.
“[None] of us should have to live with that constant worry that we might be let go at the drop of a hat,” he said. “A union allows us to organize across the industry to make great games and protect the developers who create them from the constant pressures of layoffs, passion tax, and crunch.”
CWA says Microsoft has recognized the union’s formation. Since July 2024, CWA says that over 3,500 Microsoft employees have unionized with the group.
What do you think of more video game unions forming, this time with over 450 Diablo developers? Let us know down below, and join the official Insider Gaming forums for even more gaming discussions.
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Mike has been covering the gaming industry since 2012, and has reported on some of the largest events in the industry while also working as an investigative reporter. Outside of…
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