More workers under Microsoft’s gaming division are unionizing, with the Diablo<\/a> team at Blizzard Entertainment being the latest to join the growing effort. <\/p>\n Over 450 developers at Blizzard who work on games like Diablo 4<\/a> are unionizing with the Communication Workers of America (CWA), the organization shared on Thursday. <\/p>\n “With every subsequent round of mass layoffs, I’ve witnessed the dread in my coworkers grow stronger because it feels like no amount of hard work is enough to protect us,” <\/strong>said Kelly Yeo, Team 3 game producer on Diablo and organizing committee member. <\/p>\n \u201cI am overjoyed that we have formed a union\u2014this is just the first step for us joining a movement spreading across an industry that is tired of living in fear. We are ready to begin fighting for real change alongside our Diablo colleagues.\u201d<\/p>\n This news comes a few weeks after Microsoft held another round of layoffs, cutting workers at Xbox teams like ZeniMax, King,<\/a> and many others, which also resulted in multiple games being canceled. <\/p>\n Other members of the unionizing Diablo team make it abundantly clear that the numerous cuts at Microsoft are a driving force behind the push for organizing.<\/p>\n Our union allows us to focus on making magical experiences for our players instead of worrying about the unstable job industry<\/p> \u201cI grew up playing Diablo, and I feel lucky that I get to work at Blizzard on a game that\u2019s very special to me and the gaming community,\u201d says Skye Hoefling, Team 3 senior software engineer II on Diablo and organizing committee member. <\/p>\n \u201cBut passion can\u2019t 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.\u201d <\/p>\n Layoffs have a chilling effect, making it harder and harder for the remaining team members to focus as they worry if they’ll be next to be cut. <\/p>\n \u201cThe day after the third round of mass layoffs, I walked into the office, and when I tried to open the door to the cafeteria, my badge was denied. For a moment, I wondered if getting breakfast was how I’d find out I was part of that round,” says Ryan Littleton, Team 3 game designer on Diablo and organizing committee member. <\/p>\n “While luckily it was just a technical issue, none of us should have to live with that constant worry that we might be let go at the drop of a hat. 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.”<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Microsoft first implemented a neutrality policy towards unions in 2022, when the company was courting regulators in its bid to acquire Activision Blizzard King, which it finalized in October 2023. <\/p>\n Since then, the agreement has been put to the test, with numerous teams and studios underneath the broader Microsoft Gaming umbrella organizing and forming unions with the CWA. <\/p>\n This list includes but is not limited to Activision QA, ZeniMax Media QA workers, Bethesda Game Studios<\/a>, ZeniMax Online Studios, Raven Software QA, and various teams at Blizzard Entertainment. <\/p>\n Blizzard, in particular, has seen a massive amount of worker movement over the last year, with the World of Warcraft team<\/a>, the Overwatch 2 team<\/a>, and the Story and Franchise Development team <\/a>all unionizing before now. <\/p>\n The next step for many of these teams is to ratify a contract. So far, the ZeniMax QA workers and the Raven Software QA team have ratified contracts<\/a> with Microsoft. <\/p>\n Personally, I’m pretty happy to continue to see this worker-led effort under Microsoft. Banding together is the best chance employees have for helping to make the gaming industry a better place.<\/p>\n\n
Unions at Microsoft gaming subsidiaries continue to grow<\/h2>\n