Canada's First Video Game Union Established by Anemone Hug Interactive

Anemone Hug Interactive has made history by becoming the first Canadian video game company to form a union. The newly unionized staff have joined the Canadian Animation Guild, IATSE Local 938, marking a significant milestone in the country's gaming industry. According to IATSE International president Matthew D. Loeb, "This achievement serves as a catalyst for game workers across Canada to organize and form unions in their own workplaces, enabling them to have greater control over their working conditions and address long-standing issues." The past year has witnessed a surge in labor union activities within the gaming sector globally. In April, Australia saw the establishment of its first gaming industry union. In the US, Raven Software, a subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, formed the country's first major video game union in May, which has been recognized by Microsoft following its acquisition. Meanwhile, in June, staff at Keywords Studios voted in favor of unionization, following allegations of poor working conditions, including crunch time and the denial of remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic.