Over 450 Blizzard developers unionise following Microsoft layoffs

Over 450 developers at Blizzard working on the Diablo franchise have voted to unionise with the Communications Workers of America (CWA), becoming one of the largest wall-to-wall unions at a Microsoft-owned studio.

The unit includes game developers, artists, designers, engineers and support staff across the franchise. Workers voted either through union authorization cards or via an online portal, with Microsoft recognising the union.

This latest organising victory builds on momentum within Microsoft’s gaming properties, where unionisation efforts have accelerated since the tech giant completed its acquisition of Activision Blizzard for $58.7bn (~£45.1bn) last year. The workforce has experienced significant upheaval, including a January reduction that eliminated 1,900 positions.

Kelly Yeo, Team 3 Game Producer on Diablo and organizing committee member, cited job security concerns as a key motivation: “With every subsequent round of mass layoffs, I’ve witnessed the dread in my coworkers grow stronger because it feels like no amount of hard work is enough to protect us.”

The union push reflects broader industry concerns about what workers term the ‘passion tax’ — the expectation that love for gaming justifies precarious employment conditions. Nav Bhatti, a senior software engineer involved in organizing efforts, framed unionization as workers choosing to ‘stand their ground’ rather than leave the industry.

Skye Hoefling, Team 3 Senior Software Engineer II on Diablo and organising committee member, highlighted the disconnect between passion and stability: “I grew up playing Diablo, and I feel lucky that I get to work at Blizzard on a game that’s very special to me and the gaming community. But passion can’t protect us from job instability.”

Ryan Littleton, Team 3 Game Designer on Diablo and organizing committee member, shared a personal experience highlighting the uncertainty: “The day after the third round of mass layoffs, I walked into the office, and when I tried to open the door to the cafeteria, my badge was denied.

“For a moment, I wondered if getting breakfast was how I’d find out I was part of that round. While luckily it was just a technical issue, none of us should have to live with that constant worry.”

The successful vote adds to a string of union wins at Microsoft gaming studios. World of Warcraft staff established a 500-member unit last July, while teams at ZeniMax recently concluded contract negotiations. Blizzard’s narrative and franchise division also organised earlier this month, bringing the total organized workforce under Microsoft gaming to approximately 3,500.

The organising committee highlighted the launch of United Videogame Workers-CWA (UVW-CWA), designed as an industry-spanning union open to gaming professionals regardless of their current employment status or specific employer.

Worker organisation at major studios holds considerable implications for esports development and sustainability. Blizzard maintains several competitive titles within the esports sphere, including the Overwatch and StarCraft franchises, making labor stability particularly relevant. Layoffs have impacted the esports scenes for both titles.

Development team turnover and job insecurity can significantly affect competitive title maintenance. Consistent teams are essential for gameplay balance, regular content updates, and tournament infrastructure — foundational elements for professional gaming circuits. When developers operate under threat of sudden termination, these core competitive requirements often suffer.

With over 3,500 workers now unionised across Microsoft’s gaming studios, the publisher faces a balancing act. Union-backed developers could push for stable esports support instead of watching competitive features disappear during budget cuts — potentially the difference between multi-year tournament circuits and scenes that collapse after one bad quarter.

Job security might lead to better long-term planning for competitive titles, but there are risks as well. Higher labor costs could mean smaller prize pools and fewer sponsored tournaments. Some studios have already responded to unions by outsourcing work or moving development overseas.

If costs spike, Microsoft might limit esports support, abandoning its competitive scenes. Union protections won’t change the harsh reality that publishers regularly kill esports scenes when losing money.