Blizzard QA Workers Ratify Union Contract Amid Industry Turmoil
Table of Contents
Microsoft’s Blizzard Entertainment has secured a landmark labor agreement, as quality assurance workers in Albany, New York, and Austin, Texas, have overwhelmingly voted to ratify their first union contract. The agreement, negotiated with the Communications Workers of America (CWA), arrives as the video game industry faces widespread layoffs and increasing calls for worker protections.
The contract represents the third successful unionization effort at Microsoft-owned studios, following similar agreements reached with ZeniMax employees in June and Raven Software in August. This latest deal will cover more than 60 employees in a variety of quality assurance roles and signals a growing momentum for organized labor within the gaming sector.
A Three-Year Pact for Stability and Protection
Negotiations for the contract began in May 2023, and the resulting three-year agreement addresses several key concerns for QA testers. It guarantees wage increases throughout the contract’s duration and establishes enhanced regulations regarding the implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) and generative AI in the workplace.
Beyond wages and AI, the contract provides crucial protections for workers, including:
- Fair crediting and name recognition on shipped games.
- Reasonable accommodations for employees with disabilities.
- Protections for immigrant workers.
- Restrictions on excessive mandatory crunch – the practice of demanding long working hours.
“At a time when layoffs are hitting our industry hard, today is another big step in building a better future for video game workers at every level,” stated a representative from CWA Local 1118, and a quality analyst at Blizzard Albany, Brock Davis. “For quality assurance testers, this contract provides us wages to live on, increased job security benefits, and guardrails around artificial intelligence in the workplace.”
Another Blizzard Austin senior quality analyst and CWA Local 6215 member, Matt Gant, added, “After nearly two decades in the video game industry, it feels great to work with my fellow union members in ratifying a fair contract that makes it easier to see a real, long-term career in this work.” A company release emphasized that the agreement aims to foster “a better working environment with increased pay, benefits, and layoff protections that include recall rights.”
Industry-Wide Unrest Fuels Unionization Efforts
The ratification of this contract occurs against a backdrop of significant upheaval in the video game industry. Last week, unions representing workers at Ubisoft – including STJV, CFE-CGC, CGT, Printemps Ecologique, and Solidaries Informatique – called for “a massive international strike” in response to the company’s restructuring plans. These plans include the cancellation of six games, including the Prince of Persia remake, delays to seven additional titles, a return to full-time in-office work, and a new round of layoffs and studio closures intended to save €200 million.
This unrest appears to be driving increased interest in unionization among game industry professionals. According to a new 2026 State of the Game Industry survey conducted by the GDC Festival of Gaming, 82% of US respondents expressed support for unionization. Support was particularly strong among workers earning less than $200,000 annually (87%), those who had experienced layoffs in the past two years (88%), and individuals under the age of 45 (86%). Notably, no respondents aged 18 to 24 opposed unionization.
The growing momentum behind labor organization within the gaming industry suggests a fundamental shift in the relationship between developers, publishers, and the workers who create the games players enjoy. This latest contract ratification at Blizzard is a clear indication that the demand for fair labor practices and lasting workplace protections is only intensifying.
