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World of Warcraft<\/em> (WoW<\/em>) artists, designers, engineers, producers, quality assurance (QA) testers and other game developers have unionized. The staff of more than 500 workers voted to unionize the Blizzard Entertainment studio with the Communications Workers of America (CWA) creating the World of Warcraft Gamemakers Guild<\/a>, according to an X post from the union\u2019s official account.<\/p>\n The Blizzard studio is the latest major game studio to form a union during uncertain times of layoffs and studio closures across the gaming industry. Bethesda Game Studios, the studio behind the Fallout<\/a> and Elder Scrolls<\/a> franchises, formed its union with the help of CWA last weekend that includes 241 workers.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat we\u2019ve accomplished at World of Warcraft is just the beginning,\u201d said Eric Lanham, a test analyst and Wow Gamemakers Guild member, in a statement released by the CWA. \u201cMy colleagues and I are embarking on a quest to secure better pay, benefits, and job security through a strong union contract. We know that when workers have a protected voice, it\u2019s a win-win for employee standards, the studio, and World of Warcraft fans looking for the best gaming experience.\u201d<\/p>\n We’re the World of Warcraft Gamemakers Guild: the first wall-to-wall union at Blizzard! We’re thrilled to include WoW’s QA, Art, Sound, Design, Engineering and Production voices for a democratized workplace. At this crucial moment in games, we stand together as one. For Azeroth! pic.twitter.com\/ieewW5KFuI<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 WoW Gamemaker’s Guild (@WoWGG_CWA) July 24, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n The World of Warcraft Gamemakers Guild is the largest wall-to-wall union currently under Microsoft\u2019s umbrella. Activision<\/a> unionized around 600 QA workers with the CWA in March. ZeniMax Studios<\/a> also voted to unionize around 300 staffers back in January.<\/p>\n Microsoft also made an agreement with Activision Blizzard<\/a> two years ago to respect the right of its workers to form a union. The agreement was part of Microsoft\u2019s deal to takeover Activision Blizzard.<\/p>\n The CWA cites the start of the WoW Gamemakers Guild formation to a protest conducted by Activision Blizzard workers in 2021. The crew staged a walkout<\/a> at its Irvine, California headquarters over a lawsuit<\/a> filed by the state\u2019s Civil Rights Department (CRD) alleging the company was a \u201cbreeding ground for harassment and discrimination against women.\u201d The CRD later withdrew all allegations of systemic sexual harassment, and Activision Blizzard reached a settlement of $54.8 million relating to pay and promotion disparities. The WoW studio also agreed to remove<\/a> \u201creferences that are not appropriate for [its] world\u201d from the game.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat seemed impossible six years ago is now a reality, and this is just the beginning,\u201d said CWA\u2019s Senior Director of Organizing Tom Smith in a written statement. \u201cTogether, workers are redefining their industry.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n