In major video game company first, Activision Blizzard employees are joining a union

https://www.npr.org/2022/05/23/ [login to see] /in-major-video-game-company-first-activision-blizzard-employees-are-joining-a-un
Workers in one division of Activision Blizzard, the major video game company behind popular franchises such as Call of Duty, Overwatch, and Candy Crush, have voted to join the Communication Workers of America.

The employees unionizing are 28 quality assurance testers at Raven Software, a subsidiary of Activision Blizzard. The final vote count was 19 votes in favor, 3 against. While the vote directly impacts only a small number of workers, the push for unionization is being watched by many in the games and tech industry.

"It's a beautiful day to organize," said former Activision employee and organizer Jessica Gonzalez, who livestreamed a watch party of the vote count on Twitter Spaces. "We are going to celebrate and get ready to make a contract."

"We respect and believe in the right of all employees to decide whether or not to support or vote for a union," said Activision Blizzard spokesperson Kelvin Liu in an emailed statement. "We believe that an important decision that will impact the entire Raven Software studio of roughly 350 people should not be made by 19 Raven employees."