Over the last ten years the conversation around labour organising in the video‑game sector has shifted from a niche curiosity to a mainstream concern. As developers, artists, writers and support staff confront demanding schedules, unpredictable management practices and the looming influence of new technologies, an increasing number of them are turning to collective bargaining for protection and a stronger voice. The speed with which game‑specific unions have emerged is striking. Within a few short years, groups have been created across continents, and they have already shown tangible benefits for their members.
For example, SAG‑AFTRA organised a strike that secured higher wages and explicit safeguards against the misuse of artificial intelligence for voice‑over work. At ZeniMax, employees staged walk‑outs to protest policies on remote work and the outsourcing of core functions. Similar demonstrations have taken place outside the headquarters of major publishers such as Rockstar Games, Activision, Ubisoft, Bethesda, Riot Games and Build A Rocket Boy, signalling that union activity is no longer an isolated phenomenon. The momentum shows no signs of slowing, and the importance of constructive union‑employer relations is now a key agenda item for industry events.
Our upcoming HR Summit on 1 October will devote a full session to this subject, underscoring how the industry has moved from a period in which union talk was virtually nonexistent to one where collective action is a regular part of the workplace landscape. "When Game Workers Unite launched eight years ago, there were hardly any unions or game workers in unions," recalls Austin Kelmore, co‑founder of the IWGB Game Workers and Game Worker Solidarity. "Since then, workers in more than 130 distinct groups and unions in over 15 countries have organised together to win real improvements in their workplaces. The conversation has shifted from 'Should the games industry unionise?' to 'Which workers are going to unionise next?'" Kelmore adds that the progress has been rapid: "We are making our voices heard and winning big in the process.
We still have a long way to go to fully unionise the games industry, but we've made an incredible amount of progress in a relatively small amount of time." In France, union presence has become commonplace in Ubisoft’s studios. Marc Rutschlé, a representative of Solidaires Informatique at Ubisoft Paris, notes that five years ago there were no unions represented on the Comité Social et Economique (CSE). Today, almost every French Ubisoft office hosts at least one union, and many have several. "This is pretty standard for a French company," he says, describing a maturing social dialogue.
However, he warns that the broader French game‑development sector is in crisis, with many major studios facing bankruptcy or large‑scale layoffs, making the next one or two years highly uncertain. Poland offers another perspective. The Polish Gamedev Workers Union, launched two years ago under the umbrella of the nationwide grassroots organisation The Workers Initiative, now has formal recognition in ten studios, representing roughly half of its members; the remainder work for smaller firms.
Union member Artur Ganszyniec explains that the legal framework for trade unions in Poland is outdated, having been written in the 1980s for heavy industry, and it favours employers, limiting union influence. Despite these hurdles, the union has already assisted workers during layoffs, provided legal counsel, helped navigate complex labour legislation, negotiated workplace policies, and created an informal support network.
Across the globe, unions have secured a variety of gains: four‑day work weeks, salary raises, hybrid and fully remote arrangements, explicit AI usage protections, contractual bonuses, six‑hour workdays, and more. They have also reduced the scale of redundancies, curbed harassment, and won multimillion‑dollar settlements for mistreated staff. Kelmore recounts a personal victory where his boss attempted disciplinary action, only for the union to have the sanction dismissed.
He also helped negotiate better redundancy terms for colleagues facing layoffs. Beyond material benefits, union members report a profound shift in mindset.
"Once people experience the process of creating change, they will never forget it," Kelmore says. This empowerment translates into broader advocacy, both inside and outside the workplace. Unions have also forced companies to confront legal compliance.
Early casework often involved educating employers about labour law and compelling them to adopt proper disciplinary, grievance and redundancy procedures, as well as accommodations for disabled and neuro‑diverse staff. "Companies are learning that workers know the law better than they do and are willing to enforce it," Kelmore observes. The growing power of unions has begun to influence major corporate decisions. Microsoft, for instance, recently agreed to a contract with 1,900 Blizzard employees after negotiations with the Communications Workers of America (CWA).
The deal includes hybrid work options, AI safeguards, recall rights in the event of layoffs, severance above industry norms and wage increases of up to 34 %. Such outcomes demonstrate that executives are recognising that a more organised workforce can demand concessions if they wish to keep projects on track. Rutschlé highlights AI protections as a critical battleground, describing artificial intelligence as "the biggest enemy of video games right now" because of both creative concerns and the influx of investment into AI that threatens studio stability.
He argues that unions provide a necessary counter‑narrative to corporate messaging that often paints everything as fine. Looking forward, significant challenges remain.
In Poland, the rise of civil‑contract arrangements—where developers operate as one‑person companies—allows studios to sidestep employee protections such as paid sick leave and notice periods. While these contracts can increase short‑term earnings for individuals, they erode the safety net that traditional employment provides. Ganszyniec warns that many of these arrangements hover on illegality, yet proving violations in court is difficult, so the union focuses on education for both workers and employers. Historical scepticism toward trade unions in Poland adds another layer of difficulty, as some firms spend substantial sums on legal battles to stall union cooperation, discouraging potential members.
Rutschlé notes that despite early victories, many game workers still fear retaliation from management. Kelmore points out persistent misconceptions about unionisation, emphasizing that unions are not inherently good or bad—they are simply organisations of people, with all the messiness that entails. He believes unions matter because they amplify the voice of everyday workers and serve as a work‑in‑progress platform for collective improvement.
With dozens of unions now operating across the industry and more in development, representatives agree that coordinated efforts can dramatically improve conditions. Ganszyniec argues that legal and economic systems in most sectors, including game development, heavily favour companies, making collective action essential to create a counterbalance. He stresses the importance of preserving the specialised knowledge held by veteran developers, proposing solutions such as better wages, layoff safeguards, knowledge‑sharing platforms and support networks to keep experienced talent in the field and pass expertise to junior staff.
Kelmore echoes this sentiment, noting that cross‑union collaboration accelerates progress. He has taken training from unions outside his own, exchanged detailed documents, and participated in worldwide conferences where unions from the US, Canada, France, the UK and elsewhere coordinate protests and share strategies. Such solidarity, he argues, builds a stronger, more resilient workforce. Rutschlé concludes that whether acting alone or in partnership, unions that secure healthier working environments will benefit the entire industry.
Reduced turnover, a more diverse talent pool and the retention of seasoned developers will ultimately lead to higher‑quality games. The upcoming GamesIndustry.biz HR Summit in London on 1 October will feature two dedicated sessions on how HR and people professionals can engage constructively with trade unions, offering practical guidance for the next phase of this evolving movement.