Around 1,900 unionized employees at Blizzard Entertainment have voted to ratify a new contract that includes provisions for negotiating the use of generative artificial intelligence in the workplace and enhanced protections for laid-off workers. The agreement covers staff across major franchises including World of Warcraft, Diablo, and Overwatch, as well as those in quality assurance and technology units.
The new contract mandates that Blizzard must negotiate with workers over any implementation of AI tools. It also introduces an industry-first provision granting laid-off employees the right to be recalled to open positions within any Blizzard bargaining unit for 14 months after their layoff announcement. Additionally, union workers will receive four extra weeks of severance pay, irrespective of their tenure.
These contract negotiations and their ratification occur amidst broader workforce shifts and anxieties within the gaming industry, particularly following Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Recent months have seen significant layoffs across Microsoft's gaming division, with reports of 1,600 departures in July and proposals for another 1,600 reductions. The Communications Workers of America (CWA), the umbrella union representing these Blizzard employees, highlighted that the new contracts reinforce several workplace benefits intended to set industry-wide standards in the United States. Alongside wage increases and improved grievance procedures, the contract also formalizes a three-day in-office hybrid workweek, 'just cause' protections, and accommodations for remote work and disabilities.