Blizzard’s Overwatch 2 Team Successfully Forms Second Wall-To-Wall Union

Overwatch 2 Team Joins the Wave of Unionization at Blizzard

The Overwatch 2 development team at Blizzard has officially unionized, marking a significant milestone as the second comprehensive union established within the company. The first was the World of Warcraft team, which successfully unionized in July 2024. This latest development underscores a growing movement towards union representation in the video game industry.

Nearly 200 developers have come together to form the Overwatch Gamemakers Guild-CWA, joining other unions such as One BGS USA, One BGS Montreal, ZeniMax Workers United, and the Game Workers Alliance at Raven Software, as well as the previously mentioned WoWGG-CWA. These unions represent a collective effort to improve working conditions and secure better rights for video game employees across various studios.

“Nearly 200 game developers behind Activision Blizzard’s hit franchise Overwatch have joined the Communications Workers of America (CWA), becoming the latest group of video game workers at Microsoft-owned studios to form a wall-to-wall union, ”a press release from the CWA reads.

A neutral arbitrator confirmed that an overwhelming majority of workers participated in union authorization, either by signing cards or expressing their desire for union representation online. Subsequently, these workers will affiliate with CWA Local 9510 located in Orange County, California, and Microsoft has acknowledged their union.

Distinct from other unions that may represent specific departments, both the WoWGG-CWA and the new Overwatch 2 union encompass all areas of development. This includes artists, quality assurance personnel, game designers, and level designers. The Overwatch Gamemakers Guild-CWA now embarks on the essential journey of negotiating their inaugural contract. This comes amid previous accusations by the CWA that Microsoft has delayed the negotiation process.

Bargaining delays have been a significant concern for some unions, as demonstrated by ZeniMax Workers United, whose members voted overwhelmingly—94%—in favor of authorizing a strike due to concerns about slow negotiations. While no strike has been called yet, the situation remains under close observation as talks advance.

In a recent report by Kotaku, Blizzard test analyst Simon Hedrick shared insights regarding the mass layoffs that began in 2024. He noted that these layoffs were a pivotal factor leading him to support unionization, stating, “up to that moment I’d been really happy in what I was doing.”

“People were gone out of nowhere and there was nothing we could do about it, ”Hendrick expressed.“What I want to protect most here is the people.”

Although unions cannot entirely eliminate layoffs, they serve to provide better protection and support for affected workers, especially during challenging times. There is optimism that the Overwatch union, along with other unions under Microsoft’s umbrella, can expedite the negotiation process to secure favorable outcomes for their members.

Commenting on the importance of this unionization effort, senior test analyst and organizing committee member Jess Castillo stated, “I’m organizing because I believe in this company, our teams, and the work we do together. Unionizing is about having a seat at the table so that we can work with leadership to build better, more sustainable working conditions.”Castillo emphasized that when workers are supported and thriving, they can deliver exceptional experiences to players, which aligns with the core values that motivated them to join the company in the first place.

As the unionization movement continues to evolve in the video game industry, it remains crucial for employees to advocate for their rights and collaborate with management to foster a more sustainable and equitable work environment.

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