More than 200 developers at Bethesda Game Studios, the creators of iconic franchises like The Elder Scrolls and Fallout, have unionized under the Communications Workers of America (CWA). The unionization includes 241 workers from various roles such as artists, engineers, programmers, and designers, who have signed union authorization cards or indicated their desire for union representation through an online portal, according to a CWA press release.
Microsoft, which owns Bethesda, has recognized the union. This recognition follows similar acknowledgments of unions formed by Activision QA workers and ZeniMax Studios QA workers. The CWA highlights that this is the first “wall-to-wall” union at a Microsoft video game studio, meaning it represents all eligible job titles rather than just one type of worker. Previous unions at Microsoft-owned studios have been formed solely by QA workers.
The Bethesda workers will be members of CWA Local 2108 in Maryland and CWA Local 6215 in Texas. Microsoft has not yet provided a comment on this development.
This unionization marks a significant step in the gaming industry, where employees across different job titles at a major studio have come together to seek representation and better working conditions.
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