Another Activision Division Has Voted To Unionize

On March 25, the Communications Workers of America declared that research workers who interact with users at Activision have chosen to establish a union, which Microsoft has agreed to acknowledge.

Known as Activision User Research Union-CWA, this is the inaugural labor organization dedicated to video game research within the North American gaming industry. A recent announcement about the union’s establishment highlights its goal of advocating for improved wages and job stability for those involved in user research at the developer behind Call of Duty.

The significant number of job cuts in the video game industry over the last few years was another factor driving the union’s creation. As stated by Organizing Committee member Pat Dimaandal, “workers should not be penalized for following a career they are passionate about, which is why we are working towards long-term, stable careers within this industry.

As a passionate gaming enthusiast, I’m thrilled to share that I’ve recently learned about the growth in unionized workers within Microsoft-owned studios, now numbering over 2,000! This development follows years of unionization efforts initiated at Activision, sparked by the Civil Rights lawsuit against Activision Blizzard. Raven Software was the pioneer in this movement, and during Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard, they agreed to facilitate unionization within their own studios. This decision paved the way for unions like this one and others in Microsoft-owned companies such as ZeniMax Online. It’s an exciting time for gaming workers, as we see more unity and advocacy within our beloved industry!

Recently, the Communication Workers of America (CWA) unveiled the United Videogame Workers-CWA union at GDC 2025 for game developers who aren’t employed by companies like Microsoft. This industry-wide union is open to any game developer to join, and since its announcement last week, the CWA has confirmed that it has already amassed over 350 members.

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2025-03-26 21:39