The Overwatch 2 development team at Blizzard has officially unionized, with nearly 200 employees across disciplines such as art, testing, engineering, and design casting their support. This marks the second unionization of any kind at Blizzard since the World of Warcraft team formed a union last July. The new union, called the Overwatch Gamemakers Guild, will now negotiate its first contract, but the process has faced challenges, with Microsoft reportedly delaying negotiations with other internal game unions.
The decision to unionize was partly influenced by recent layoffs in early 2024, which employees like Simon Hedrick, a test analyst at Blizzard, claim affected their job security and creative freedom. “People were gone out of nowhere and there was nothing we could do about it,” Hedrick said in an interview with Kotaku. “What I want to protect most here is the people.” The unionization effort has led to discussions about the broader implications for the game development industry, with employees emphasizing that better job security could lead to better game development, while poor treatment could harm the quality of the games.
Organizing efforts at Blizzard have focused on addressing several key issues, including work-from-home restrictions, pay disparities, and changes to Blizzard’s profit-sharing program. Employees also want codified protections for matters such as crunch policies, time off, and layoff-related severance. Sadie Boyd, a UI artist on the Overwatch team, sees the union as a tool for negotiating the use of generative AI at Blizzard and as a potential source of inspiration for other studios. “Our industry is at such a turning point,” she said. “I really think with the announcement of our union on Overwatch…I know that will light some fires.” The union aims to improve working conditions and protect against issues like forced resignations and pay disparities, while also addressing the broader concerns of the gaming industry.
While unionizing does not make a studio immune to layoffs or potential shutdowns, it is the first step toward making companies engage in a dialogue with employees about these issues rather than simply dropping them in an email filled with platitudes. The Overwatch Gamemakers Guild’s negotiations will be closely watched, as they could set a precedent for other game development teams considering unionization. As the industry continues to evolve, the impact of these union efforts on both employee well-being and game development quality remains a subject of ongoing discussion.