Blizzard’s quality assurance workers finally have a union contract
Blizzard’s quality assurance workers finally have a union contract
Publish Date: 2026-02-02 11:26:00
Source Domain: www.engadget.com
- Quality assurance workers at Blizzard’s Albany and Austin locations have ratified a union contract after almost three years of negotiation with Microsoft.
- The new agreement covers 60 workers ensuring guaranteed pay increases over its three-year term, fair credit recognition, and discrimination-free disability accommodations.
- The contract restricts mandatory overtime (crunch) and offers protection for immigrant workers against unfair discipline and loss of seniority while streamlining the legal verification process.
- New rules surrounding the use of artificial intelligence in the workplace have been included in the contract.
- The contract is viewed as a significant step toward improving conditions for video game workers across various levels, as stated by Blizzard Albany quality analyst Brock Davis. The unionization is part of a broader movement within Microsoft’s game divisions, with other groups like ZeniMax and Raven Software also ratifying union contracts.
- This marks the third union agreement at Microsoft following the unionization of certain Blizzard divisions over the last year, including teams working on Overwatch and Diablo.
