In a significant move within the gaming industry, 165 employees at id Software, the creators of the legendary Doom and Quake series, have decided to unionize. This marks another instance of a comprehensive union effort within Microsoft, showcasing a growing trend of collective organization in game development.
Union Formation at id Software
This newly formed union includes a wide range of professionals like developers, artists, and programmers. It has gained official recognition from Microsoft, aligning with the company’s commitment to maintain a neutral stance on union formation and to acknowledge any emerging unions. Members have highlighted concerns over industry volatility and the increasing need for remote work arrangements.
Senior VFX artist and organizing committee member Caroline Pierrot expressed, “I’m very proud to be a part of this effort to organize our studio, to have a voice in decisions that directly affect myself and my coworkers.” She emphasized that more unions signify greater empowerment for workers and an opportunity to positively influence the industry’s future.
Microsoft’s Growing Union Landscape
Microsoft has witnessed a notable rise in union formations across its gaming divisions in recent years, especially within its latest acquisition, Activision Blizzard. This past August, developers of the Diablo franchise chose to unionize, followed by Blizzard’s story and franchise development team. The entire World of Warcraft team achieved unionization last year, and Overwatch developers joined them in May of this year.
Meanwhile, Raven Software employees secured their first contract earlier this year, Zenimax QA workers finalized a contract in May, and Bethesda’s union negotiations are still ongoing.