Diablo Development Team Takes Historic Step Towards Unionization

A significant milestone has been achieved as 450 Diablo developers have chosen to form a union. According to the Communications Workers of America, this newly formed unit comprises a wide range of professionals, including game developers, artists, designers, engineers, and support staff across the Diablo franchise, marking one of the largest unionizations at a Microsoft-owned studio. This move follows the unionization of Blizzard's Story and Franchise Development workers and the successful contract negotiations by Microsoft workers at ZeniMax Media and Raven Software. Kelly Yeo, a game producer on Diablo, expressed her relief and joy at the formation of the union, stating that it's a crucial step towards bringing about meaningful change in the industry. CWA Local 6215 President Ron Swaggerty welcomed the new members, emphasizing the significance of this development in the nationwide movement for video game worker rights. This progress is attributed to the courage and determination of workers who have been advocating for their rights over the past few years. The unionization effort comes on the heels of a similar move by developers in Blizzard's story and franchise development division, bringing the total number of organized workers at Microsoft-owned studios to nearly 3,000. In a related development, unionized workers at Raven Software had filed a complaint against the studio and its parent companies for allegedly refusing to engage in bargaining, but have since secured a historic contract with Microsoft.