Following last year's layoffs of approximately 600 Activision Blizzard employeesJoin the Communications Workers of America, making it the largest union in the video game industry in the United States. Blizzard Entertainment's Story and Franchise Development (SFD) team alsovoted to form a union, and also joined the Communications Workers of America (CWA), and Microsoft also recognized the establishment of its union earlier.
Blizzard Entertainment's Story and Brand Development team is responsible for the production of cutscenes, narrative content, and promotional videos for its game series, and also covers the preservation of game history and data for titles like World of Warcraft and Overwatch.confirmApproximately 169 Blizzard Entertainment employees will join the local chapter.
Bucky Fisk, a senior editor at Blizzard Entertainment and a member of the organizing committee, stated that having worked at Blizzard for over a decade, he has witnessed the company's ups and downs. While Blizzard used to be a place where people could develop long-term careers, stability has declined in recent years. Establishing a union will help preserve the company's unique culture, foster transparency in decision-making, and ensure policies are applied fairly to every employee.
Another organizing committee member, Sammi Kay, associate producer at Blizzard Entertainment, pointed out that the past few months have been both important and liberating for employees in the gaming industry. She has long been told that she "can only accept the status quo," but by organizing a union, they will be able to work together to create a better future than the current one.
Overall, the establishment of a union in Blizzard Entertainment's Story and Brand Development department not only represents an increase in employee rights awareness within the gaming industry, but also shows that Microsoft is still willing to recognize and support the unionization of its employees after acquiring Activision Blizzard. This may have a profound impact on the future labor policy direction of large gaming companies.
