Arkane Studios' Union Issues Open Letter to Microsoft, Demanding End to Israeli Support

The STJV union, representing employees of Arkane Studios, has published an open letter addressed to the leadership of Arkane Studios, Zenimax, Microsoft, and Microsoft Gaming. The letter urges Microsoft to cease its support for Israel amidst the ongoing conflict in Gaza. The union has expressed its alignment with the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement and the No Azure for Apartheid campaign, which demand that Microsoft halt its support for the Israeli regime. The letter emphasizes that Microsoft should not be an accomplice to genocide and that, as employees, they do not wish to be part of such a project. Furthermore, the union believes it is their responsibility as tech workers to raise awareness and ensure that their technologies are used to amplify the voices of the oppressed, rather than facilitate their demise. On April 10, 2025, the BDS movement, which aims to end international support for Israel's oppression of Palestinians, announced a boycott of Microsoft gaming products to pressure the company to end its complicity in Israel's actions against Palestinians. The BDS movement described Microsoft as "perhaps the most complicit tech company in Israel's illegal occupation" and called for a boycott of all Microsoft gaming products, including headsets, consoles, and games published by Microsoft-owned labels such as Bethesda Softworks and Activision Blizzard. Following this announcement, over 2,000 Microsoft employees signed the No Azure for Apartheid petition, which demanded that the company sever all ties with the Israeli Army and conduct an independent audit to ensure that its contracts, services, and products are not involved in human rights violations. The STJV union claims that, despite this petition, Microsoft has continued to ignore the demands of its employees. The letter highlights Microsoft's responsibility toward its employees and its commitment to protecting fundamental human rights. However, the union argues that Microsoft has failed to uphold these values by being complicit in the invasion and war crimes in Gaza. The letter also expresses concerns that Microsoft's stance could impact the reputation and work of its employees, potentially reducing the audience for their games and compromising the viability of Xbox Games and their jobs. The STJV union is demanding that Microsoft terminate all contracts with the Israeli Occupation Forces, disclose all ties to the Israeli military, conduct a public audit of its technologies and services, call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and ensure the protection of pro-Palestinian speech. In May, Microsoft conducted an internal review after claims that its Azure and AI technologies were being used by the Israel Ministry of Defence to target civilians in the conflict in Gaza. Although Microsoft acknowledged providing software and services to the IMOD, it claimed to have found no evidence that its technologies were being used to harm people in the conflict.