One more big name in the gaming world is getting ready to unionize.
During the excitement of the Game Awards 2024, news broke that ZeniMax Online Studios, the team behind The Elder Scrolls Online, is forming a union in collaboration with the Communication Workers of America (CWA), going by the name ZOS-United CWA. According to the announcement, a “huge majority” of the studio’s developers have signed union authorization cards or registered their support via a secure online portal. This union comprises 461 members across the United States, including a diverse group of web developers, engineers, and artists.
John Hartzell, a principal economy designer and a member of ZOS United-CWA, expressed his enthusiasm: “Today, I’m immensely proud of my colleagues at ZeniMax Online Studios who, alongside thousands of other video game workers, are leveraging their collective power to create more stability in the industry. No matter your studio, your job title, or your background, unions aim to benefit us all.”
ZeniMax Online Studios, which is part of the larger Microsoft family, has offices spread across the United States and Hungary. It’s not just known for consistently rolling out new content for The Elder Scrolls Online every year but is also developing a new intellectual property that runs on a brand-new engine.
Microsoft has willingly recognized this union, aligning with its established stance since it agreed with the CWA to stay neutral in employee unionization moves.
### Unionization is Gaining Momentum at Microsoft Gaming
In the past few years, we’ve watched as Microsoft reduced its workforce by 2,500 across its various gaming sectors. During this time, unions were established at ZeniMax quality assurance, Activision Central QA, the Blizzard Entertainment team for World of Warcraft, and even at all Bethesda Game Studios. With ZeniMax Online Studios joining the fold, a significant number of Microsoft’s gaming employees are now part of unions.
Alyssa Gobelle, a senior motion graphics artist who is part of ZOS United-CWA, noted, “By uniting and forming a union, we’re making a substantial leap toward securing a better future for ourselves and our families. This move provides protections against layoffs and workplace exploitation and offers layers of support beyond traditional workplace policies like FMLA. At ZeniMax, unions are a perfect fit.”
Recently, ZeniMax QA workers staged a one-day strike to protest Microsoft’s approach to negotiations over remote work and outsourcing practices. These workers shared with me that while negotiations over other issues were proceeding positively, they felt compelled to take action to draw attention to these particular concerns.
For my part, I’m always delighted when I see more unions forming across different gaming studios. Unions aren’t an all-encompassing solution, but they undoubtedly provide tremendous support to workers. They offer a platform to address challenges collectively, tap into a network for solutions, and lean on one another for assistance, reflecting the expanding union network at Xbox studios.
