Around 1,900 unionised workers at Blizzard Entertainment have voted to ratify their first contract with the World of Warcraft publisher after years of negotiations. The union contract means Blizzard now has to bargain with staff over the use of generative-AI in game development, and workers also have better protection against any potential layoffs.
The contract covers all union-represented staff across the World of Warcraft, Warcraft Rumble, Hearthstone, Overwatch and Diablo teams, as well as people from Blizzard’s QA, Platform and Technology, and Story and Franchise Development units. Some rare good news in the gaming world!
The Communications Workers of America labor union called the new contract “historic” in a recent press release and explained that Blizzard is now required to “discuss, evaluate, and bargain over the usage of artificial intelligence in the workplace.” In a first for the video game industry, the contract has also given staff “the right to be ‘recalled’ into open positions across any Blizzard bargaining unit for 14 months from the date of their layoff announcement.” Union members secured an extra four weeks of severance as part of the negotiations, as well, in the event of any layoffs.
“This contract marks the beginning of a new era at Blizzard Entertainment, but it doesn’t stop with us. I look forward to the day that everyone in the industry can enjoy the protections that this contract affords us, like increased severance and recall rights in the event of a layoff and the ability to grieve injustices in the workplace,” Overwatch QA worker Simon Hedrick said. “I believe that the positive change we have won will ripple out and help make the games industry as a whole a better place for workers and players alike. This contract is the start of something greater, and I urge everyone to remember: when we fight together, we win together.”
Unionisation efforts within Blizzard Entertainment started many years ago, and have only grown exponentially over time. This latest win comes just months after Xbox cut 1,600 jobs across its subsidiaries, with 1,600 more to come, though the folks at Blizzard were seemingly unaffected this time around.
In a statement provided to Kotaku, Blizzard president Johanna Faries said the new agreement “marks a significant milestone and reflects our shared commitment to continuing to work together in support of our teams and our players.”
Good timing, too – BlizzCon 2026 takes place this weekend and is sure to include looks at the future of several Blizzard games. Something funny’s happening with the Starcraft website, which is probably a sign of things to come.