Over the past ten years, the emergence of labour unions within the video‑game sector has become a prominent conversation, as an increasing number of employees look for safeguards against demanding work environments and managerial failings worldwide. In a relatively short span, a multitude of game‑focused unions have been created, and they have already shown tangible benefits for their members. For example, SAG‑AFTRA initiated a strike to obtain better compensation and AI‑related protections for voice talent in games, ZeniMax staff staged walk‑outs over disputes concerning remote work and outsourcing, and union‑organised demonstrations have taken place outside the headquarters of companies such as Rockstar Games, Activision, Ubisoft, Bethesda, Riot Games and Build A Rocket Boy, among others. The momentum shows no signs of waning, and learning to collaborate effectively with unions is now a crucial skill for HR teams in game studios.
In fact, the topic will be examined in depth at the upcoming HR Summit on October 1, underscoring how the industry has shifted from a period when union talk was virtually nonexistent to a new reality where collective bargaining is part of the everyday conversation. "When Game Workers Unite launched eight years ago, there were barely any unions or game workers in unions," explains Austin Kelmore, co‑founder of the IWGB Game Workers and Game Worker Solidarity. "Since then, employees in more than 130 distinct groups across over 15 countries have organised and secured real improvements in their workplaces. The debate has moved from ‘Should the games industry unionise?’ to ‘Which workers will unionise next?’" Kelmore adds that the movement has already amplified workers' voices and delivered major wins, while acknowledging that full unionisation of the sector remains a work in progress.
"We have achieved an incredible amount of progress in a short time, but there is still a long road ahead," he says. Marc Rutschlé, a union representative for Solidaires Informatique at Ubisoft Paris, notes a similar trend in France: "Five years ago there were no unions inside the Comité Social et Economique. Today, unions are present in almost every Ubisoft studio in France, and some locations host several unions.
This is typical for a French company and signals that social dialogue at Ubisoft is maturing." However, Rutschlé warns that the broader French game‑development landscape is under strain. "Most major studios are either bankrupt or planning layoffs. It is difficult to predict what will happen in the next one or two years," he observes. In Poland, the Gamedev Workers Union was established only two years ago as part of the nationwide grassroots movement The Workers Initiative.
Union member Artur Ganszyniec reports that the organisation now has formal recognition in ten Polish studios, representing roughly half of its members, while the remainder work for smaller firms. He explains that the legal framework governing trade unions in Poland is outdated, having been drafted in the 1980s for heavy industry, and it favours employers, severely limiting union influence. Despite these hurdles, the Polish union has already provided crucial services: representing staff during layoffs, offering legal assistance, navigating complex Polish labour law, negotiating workplace policies, and creating an informal support network for members. Kelmore summarises the breadth of achievements across global game‑worker unions: four‑day work weeks, salary raises, hybrid and remote arrangements, AI safeguards, contractual bonuses, six‑hour workdays, reduced layoff numbers, anti‑harassment measures, and multimillion‑dollar settlements for mistreated employees.
He recounts a personal victory where his boss attempted disciplinary action against him, only for the union to have the case dismissed, and he helped negotiate better redundancy terms for colleagues. Beyond material gains, unions have empowered workers to recognise their collective power to drive change both inside and outside the workplace.
Kelmore reflects, "It may sound cheesy, but once people experience the process of creating change, they never forget it, and that fuels further advocacy." Unions have also forced companies to confront legal compliance. "Early on, much of our casework involved teaching employers what the law requires and compelling them to follow it," Kelmore says.
This has led firms to adopt proper disciplinary, grievance and redundancy procedures, accommodate disabilities and neuro‑diversity as mandated, and acknowledge that workers often know the law better than management. As unions grow, they can apply pressure at the highest levels. Kelmore cites Microsoft’s recent agreement with the Communications Workers of America for 1,900 Blizzard staff, which secured hybrid work, AI protections, recall rights, above‑industry severance, and up to 34 % wage increases.
"Company executives are learning that the more power workers build, the more they must concede if they want work done," he notes. Rutschlé highlights AI protections as a critical issue, describing AI as "the biggest enemy of video games right now" because of both creative concerns and the influx of investment that has driven studio closures.
He adds that unions provide a counter‑narrative to corporate messaging, offering a realistic outlet when HR claims everything is fine. Looking forward, unions still encounter significant obstacles. In Poland, the default employment contract protected by labour law is being supplanted by various civil contracts.
About 40 % of Polish developers now operate as one‑person companies, earning slightly more but forfeiting benefits such as sick pay and notice periods. Ganszyniec warns that many of these arrangements skirt legality, and proving violations in court is difficult, so education for both developers and studios is essential. Historical skepticism toward trade unions in Poland, combined with costly legal attacks from anti‑union companies, hampers recruitment. Rutschlé observes that many game workers still fear retaliation, while Kelmore points out lingering misconceptions that organising is inherently good or bad, when in fact it is simply a tool.
"Unions are an organisational container filled with messy, complicated people," Kelmore says. "I believe in unions not because they are inherently virtuous, but because they amplify the value of everyday workers. They are always a work in progress." With unions now established across many regions and more forming, the representatives agree that coordinated action can better protect staff.
Ganszyniec argues that legal and economic systems favour companies, so employees must organise to create a counterbalance. He stresses the need to preserve specialised knowledge, improve conditions, devise layoff solutions, share expertise, and build support networks to retain experienced developers and mentor juniors. Kelmore adds that cross‑union knowledge sharing accelerates victories.
He has taken training from unions outside his own, exchanged detailed documents, and participated in worldwide conferences where unions from the US, Canada, France and the UK coordinated protests and campaigns. Such solidarity, he believes, strengthens the entire movement.
Rutschlé concludes that unions securing healthier work environments—whether alone or in collaboration—benefit the whole industry by reducing turnover, attracting a more diverse talent pool, and ultimately leading to higher‑quality games. The GamesIndustry.biz HR Summit, returning to London on October 1 with a focus on People & Leadership, will feature two sessions dedicated to best practices for HR and people professionals engaging productively with trade unions.
Tickets are available through the event website.