Workers at Blizzard Entertainment have ratified union contracts after two years of bargaining, according to the union. The vote covers nearly 1,900 union‑represented employees across the company’s games teams and shared services, giving them the same contract language in their respective units. The union said the agreement marks the beginning of a new era at Blizzard. Quality assurance workers in Albany, New York, and Austin, Texas, were the first to unionize in 2022, followed by World of Warcraft employees in 2024. In the previous year, workers on the Overwatch, Diablo, Hearthstone and Warcraft Rumble game teams, as well as the story and franchise development and platform technology units, also unionized. Simon Hedrick, an Overwatch bargaining committee member and quality analyst, said in a statement that the contract “marks the beginning of a new era at Blizzard Entertainment” and 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. The contracts include wage increases and a hybrid work schedule of three days in the office, the union reported. They also require Blizzard to discuss and bargain over the use of artificial intelligence in the workplace. Johanna Faries, Blizzard’s president, expressed appreciation for the dedication of represented employees and bargaining committees, calling the ratification a significant milestone that reflects a shared commitment to supporting teams and players. Blizzard is a subsidiary of Santa Monica‑based Activision Blizzard, which was acquired by Microsoft Corp. in 2023. In July, Microsoft announced plans to cut 3,200 jobs in its video game division — about 20 % of that staff — over the next year as part of a broader cost‑cutting effort affecting about 2 % of Microsoft’s total workforce. During negotiations, the Blizzard union said the impending layoffs and broader industry job cuts were a major issue. One provision in the new contracts gives laid‑off workers the right to be recalled into open positions across Blizzard’s bargaining units for 14 months after a layoff is announced. Daniel Weltz, a platform and technology bargaining committee member and principal software engineer, said the contract secures existing workplace strengths while adding strong protections around layoffs, job security and remote work, and allows Blizzard to continue setting standards for the industry.
