Over the last ten years, the emergence of labour unions within the video‑game sector has shifted from a fringe curiosity to a central conversation. As developers, artists, writers, and voice talent confront demanding schedules, unpredictable management practices, and increasingly complex technological challenges, many are turning to collective bargaining as a safeguard for their rights and wellbeing. The speed at which game‑specific unions have materialised is striking.
In a relatively brief period, organisations such as SAG‑AFTRA have organised a strike to demand higher wages and explicit protections against the misuse of artificial intelligence for voice‑over work. Employees at ZeniMax staged walk‑outs over disputes concerning remote‑work policies and the outsourcing of core tasks.
Meanwhile, coordinated protests have been staged outside the headquarters of major studios including Rockstar Games, Activision, Ubisoft, Bethesda, Riot Games and Build A Rocket Boy, signalling a willingness to confront corporate power on a public stage. These actions are not isolated flash‑in‑the‑pan events; they point to a broader, enduring trend.
The industry is now at a point where engaging constructively with unions is becoming a strategic priority for studios. The upcoming HR Summit on October 1 will devote a full session to this very topic, underscoring how union‑employer dialogue has moved from the periphery to the mainstream of games‑industry discourse. "When Game Workers Unite launched eight years ago, there were barely any unions or game workers represented by unions," recalls Austin Kelmore, co‑founder of the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) Game Workers and Game Worker Solidarity.
"Since then, more than 130 distinct groups across over 15 countries have organised and secured tangible improvements in their workplaces. The debate has shifted from ‘Should the games industry unionise?’ to ‘Which group of workers will unionise next?’" Kelmore adds that the momentum is palpable: "We are making our voices heard and achieving significant victories. While full unionisation of the sector remains a work in progress, the progress we have made in such a short span is remarkable." In France, union activity at Ubisoft illustrates how quickly the landscape can evolve.
Marc Rutschlé, a representative of Solidaires Informatique at Ubisoft Paris, notes that five years ago there were no union representatives on the company's Comité Social et Economique (CSE), the French works council. Today, unions are present in almost every French Ubisoft studio, with some locations hosting multiple unions—a standard arrangement for large French enterprises. "This indicates that social dialogue at Ubisoft is maturing," he says. However, Rutschlé warns that the broader French game‑development scene is under severe strain.
"Nearly every major studio is either filing for bankruptcy or announcing layoffs. The next one or two years will be decisive for the sector's survival." Poland offers another perspective.
The Polish Gamedev Workers Union, launched just two years ago as a branch of the nationwide grassroots movement The Workers Initiative, now has formal recognition in ten Polish studios, representing roughly half of its membership; the remainder work for smaller independent firms. Union member Artur Ganszyniec explains that the legal framework governing trade unions in Poland is outdated, having been drafted in the 1980s for heavy‑industry contexts.
"The statutes favour employers and fail to reflect the realities of creative, often remote, work," he says. "This makes it difficult for unions to exercise their full rights." Despite these hurdles, the Polish union has already delivered concrete assistance: representing staff during mass layoffs, providing legal counsel, navigating the intricacies of Polish labour law, negotiating workplace standards, and establishing an informal support network for members. Kelmore summarises the breadth of gains achieved worldwide: four‑day workweeks, salary hikes, hybrid and fully remote arrangements, explicit AI safeguards, contractual bonuses, six‑hour workdays, and more.
Unions have also curbed the frequency of layoffs, tackled harassment, and secured multi‑million‑dollar settlements for mistreated employees. "My own manager tried to discipline me, and I successfully fought it off," Kelmore recounts. "Together with colleagues we negotiated better redundancy terms for those affected and for those who stayed on." Beyond material benefits, union participation has empowered workers to recognise their collective power. Kelmore reflects, "Once people experience the process of creating change, they never forget it.
That confidence fuels further advocacy both inside and outside the workplace." Unions are also reshaping corporate behaviour. Early casework often involved educating company leaders about legal obligations. "We taught executives how to follow proper disciplinary, grievance, and redundancy procedures, to accommodate disabilities and neurodiversity as required by law, and to understand that workers often know the law better than they do," Kelmore explains. "As unions grow, they can pressure senior management to adopt better practices.
For example, Microsoft recently agreed to a contract with 1,900 Blizzard employees that includes hybrid work, AI protections, recall rights, above‑industry severance, and up to a 34 % wage increase." Rutschlé highlights AI protection as a critical front. He describes AI as "the biggest enemy of video games right now," not only because of creative concerns but also due to the massive investment influx that threatens studio stability.
"The AI boom has attracted huge capital, and studios that cannot keep up are closing down," he warns. Unions also serve as a counter‑balance to corporate messaging. "When HR tells you everything is fine, it’s often a façade.
Unions are the people you turn to when something goes wrong," Rutschlé says. Looking forward, several obstacles remain. In Poland, the default employment model protected by labour law is increasingly being replaced by civil contracts. About 40 % of Polish developers now operate as "one‑person companies" contracting with studios, gaining slightly higher pay but forfeiting benefits such as paid sick leave and notice periods.
Ganszyniec notes that while some of these arrangements skirt legality, proving violations in court is challenging, so the union focuses on education for both developers and studios. Historical scepticism toward unions in Poland adds another layer of difficulty. Companies often spend substantial sums on legal fees to sue unions and stall cooperation, discouraging workers from joining. Rutschlé adds that, despite early victories, many game‑workers still fear retaliation from management.
Kelmore observes that misconceptions persist about whether organising is inherently good or bad. "Unions are simply structures that bring people together.
They are messy, they make mistakes, and they evolve. I support unions not because they are perfect, but because they amplify the voice of everyday workers. They are always a work in progress." With unions now established across continents, representatives agree that collaboration amplifies impact.
Ganszyniec argues that legal and economic systems in any industry, including game development, heavily tilt toward employers, making collective organisation essential to create a counter‑balance. He stresses that the deep, tacit knowledge held by specialist developers must be protected through better working conditions, fair salaries, layoff safeguards, knowledge‑sharing platforms, and support networks that keep seasoned talent in the field and pass expertise to newcomers. Kelmore concurs, noting that cross‑union knowledge exchange accelerates progress.
"I have taken training from unions outside my own and shared detailed documents that move us all closer to our goals. International conferences bring together unions from the US, Canada, France, the UK and beyond to learn from each other. Workers in one country have protested outside Take‑Two on behalf of colleagues halfway around the world.
This solidarity builds collective strength." Rutschlé concludes that whether acting alone or in coalition, unions that secure healthier work environments ultimately benefit the entire industry. "Better conditions reduce turnover, attract a more diverse talent pool beyond the stereotypical young white male engineer, and retain experienced developers.
That diversity and experience translate into higher‑quality games for players worldwide." The GamesIndustry.biz HR Summit, returning to London on October 1 with a focus on People & Leadership, will feature two dedicated sessions offering guidance and best practices for HR and people professionals on how to engage productively with trade unions. Tickets are currently available through the event’s website.