Blizzard QA Workers Ratify Historic Union Contract with Microsoft: AI Protections, Wage Increases, and the Future of Gaming Labor

Employees in the Quality Assurance (QA) department of Blizzard in Albany, New York, and Austin, Texas, have officially voted to ratify a union contract at Microsoft.¹ This union contract is the third of its kind at Microsoft, with Zenimax employees ratifying one in June 2025,² and Raven Software in August 2025.³ 

This current contract has been in bargaining since May 2023, and finally getting it ratified marks an important moment for Blizzard’s employees.

Matt Gant, Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 6215 member and Blizzard Austin senior quality analyst, commented on the contract, stating: “After nearly two decades in the video game industry, it feels great to work with my fellow union members in ratifying a fair contract that makes it easier to see a real, long-term career in this work”.⁴ He also commented on the exact benefits the employees will receive: “This agreement gives us a better working environment with increased pay, benefits, and layoff protections that include recall rights and ensures that quality assurance work remains a stable and respected role for the workers who will build games long after us”.⁵

Key Protections: What the Blizzard Contract Actually Secures

The contract will cover over 60 QA employees, and will last 3 years.⁶ The agreement is extensive, and includes very relevant protections, such as guaranteed wage increases, a minimum pay of 25.50 USD per hour for all current and unionized employees, disability accommodations, protections for immigrant workers, better severance packages,⁷ as well as assurances that workers will be given fair credits and recognition on games.⁸

Crucially, the agreement also includes enhanced regulations around the usage of generative AI (GenAI) in the workplace, with guarantees that AI will support, but not replace or harm workers.⁹ These guarantees will help alleviate some very relevant employee concerns. At the recent 2026 GDC State Of The Game Industry Report, which was recently analysed on Esports Legal News, 52% of respondents said they felt GenAI had a negative impact on the game industry.¹⁰

Only 7% of all respondents said that GenAI was having a positive impact on the game industry, out of which, the support was highest amongst executives and those in business operations and services.¹¹ Indeed, one of the prominent reasons cited for the opposition of GenAI in the gaming industry is the risk of job replacement.¹²

Another important feature of the agreement is a restriction on mandatory crunch (i.e. mandatory overtime).¹³ This is a very important addition to the agreement, as the ‘crunch’ culture is a frowned upon part of the gaming industry, which is known to be very harmful on employees.¹⁴ 

Industry Volatility and the Growing Case for Collective Bargaining

The author is pleased to see this agreement ratified, as the gaming industry has recently seen too much volatility, especially with regards to job stability. The GDC’s report showed that over the last two years, 28% of respondents experienced a layoff.¹⁵ That number was even higher for developers within the United States, reaching 33% of respondents.¹⁶

Recent situations exemplify the need for the protections granted by the agreement, for example the recent Ubisoft restructuring crisis. Ubisoft recently closed multiple studios and laid off hundreds of employees as restructurings continue.¹⁷ Now, Ubisoft’s unions STJV, CFE-CGC, CGT, Printemps Ecologique, and Solidaries Informatique called for “a massive international strike”.¹⁸

CWA Local 1118 member and Blizzard Albany quality analyst, Brock Davis, commented on the importance of the agreement in the current state of the industry, stating: “At a time when layoffs are hitting our industry hard, today is another big step in building a better future for video game workers at every level”.¹⁹ 

The increased agreements with Microsoft are welcome, as we have seen a significant increase in demand for unionisation amongst workers in the gaming industry. The GDC report showed that 82% of respondents supported unionisation for game industry workers, with only 5% in opposition.²⁰ However, unfortunately it seems the workers at Microsoft and Blizzard are in the minority with regards to their union participation, as the GDC’s report showed that 62% of respondents were not in a union, although they are interested in joining one.²¹

Takeaways

The importance of the ratification of this contract cannot be overstated. This agreement can serve as a beacon of stability in an industry currently defined by a high degree of volatility and uncertainty. The GDC report highlights the widespread desire for unionisation and protection from layoffs and the use of GenAI in the gaming industry. By securing guaranteed wages, restrictions on ‘crunch’ culture, and limits on the use of AI, Blizzard’s QA staff are taking big strides towards a better future in the gaming industry.

This contract, the author believes, can set a crucial benchmark for what collective bargaining can achieve in the gaming industry. For the 62% of the workers interested in unionising, per the GDC report, the current success with Microsoft provides a glimpse of hope, and a message that solidarity can help overcome the volatility and uncertainty plaguing the gaming industry.

1.  Jeffrey Rousseau, ‘QA staff at Blizzard ratify union contract that gives “lasting protections in the workplace”’ (GamesIndustry.biz, 24 July 2024) https://www.gamesindustry.biz/qa-staff-at-blizzard-ratify-union-contract-that-gives-lasting-protections-in-the-workplace accessed 5 February 2026.
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2.  Sophie McEvoy, ‘ZeniMax Workers United reaches tentative agreement with Microsoft’ (GamesIndustry.biz, 15 July 2024) https://www.gamesindustry.biz/zenimax-workers-united-reaches-tentative-agreement-with-microsoft accessed 5 February 2026.
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3.  Vikki Blake, ‘Raven Software secures first collective-bargaining workplace protections since unionization three years ago’ (GamesIndustry.biz, 4 August 2025) https://www.gamesindustry.biz/raven-software-secures-first-collective-bargaining-workplace-protections-since-unionization-three-years-ago accessed 5 February 2026.
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4.  Jeffrey Rousseau, (n 1).
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5.  Jeffrey Rousseau, (n 1).
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6.  Lawrence Bonk, ‘Blizzard’s quality assurance workers finally have a union contract’ (Engadget, 24 July 2024), https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/blizzards-quality-assurance-workers-finally-have-a-union-contract-162614979.html accessed 5 February 2026.
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7.  William D’Angelo, ‘Blizzard QA Employees in NY and Texas Ratify First Union Contract With Microsoft’ (VGChartz, 3 February 2026) https://www.vgchartz.com/article/466929/blizzard-qa-employees-in-ny-and-texas-ratify-first-union-contract-with-microsoft/ accessed 5 February 2026.
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8.  Lawrence Bonk, (n 6).
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9.  Leah J Williams, ‘Blizzard QA workers ratify new union contract with Microsoft’ (ScreenHub, 3 February 2026) https://www.screenhub.com.au/news/games/blizzard-qa-microsoft-union-contract-2692230/ accessed 5 February 2026.
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10.  GamingOnLinux, GDC 2026 report – 36% of devs use generative AI, while 28% target Steam Deck and 8% Linux (online, 30 January 2026) https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2026/01/gdc-2026-report-36pct-of-devs-use-genai-28pct-target-steam-deck-and-8pct-target-linux/ accessed 5 Feburary 2026.
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11.  GDC survey reveals layoffs up 6%, 36% of industry using AI, and overwhelming support for unionisation in the US, GamesIndustry.biz (website post, 2026) https://bit.ly/4rmq1K6 accessed 5 February 2026.
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12.  ibid.
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13.  Lawrence Bonk, (n 6).
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14.  Matthaios Tsimitakis, ‘Crunch in the Gaming Industry: A Persistent Crisis in The Digital Playground’ (Creatives Unite, 24 January 2025) https://creativesunite.eu/article/crunch-in-the-gaming-industry-a-persistent-crisis-in-the-digital-playground accessed 5 February 2026.
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15.  GamesIndustry.biz, (n. 11).
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16.  Eurogamer, One third of surveyed US games industry workers were laid off in the last two years, GDC reports (online, 30 January 2026) https://www.eurogamer.net/one-third-of-surveyed-us-games-industry-workers-were-laid-off-in-the-last-two-years-gdc-reports accessed 5 Feburary 2026.
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17.  Ethan Gach, ‘Ubisoft Lays Off More People, Cancels Even More Games’ (Kotaku, 31 October 2024) https://kotaku.com/ubisoft-earnings-layoffs-delays-canceled-ai-2000661869 accessed 5 February 2026.
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18.  Jeffrey Rousseau, (n 1).
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19.  Jeffrey Rousseau, (n 1).
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20.  GamesIndustry.biz, (n. 11).
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21.  GamesIndustry.biz, (n. 11).
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