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As the year ends, another game studio owned by Microsoft has voted to unionize. On Friday, id Software, a developer based in Texas, successfully voted in favor of forming a union, according to the Communication Workers of America (CWA).
The CWA reports that a significant majority of the studio’s employees supported the move, bringing the total number of unionized workers to 165. Similar to previous unionization efforts at other studios, Microsoft has agreed to recognize the union.
Andrew Willis, a producer at id Software, explained that this unionization was necessary, emphasizing the importance of developers working together to address changes being made by industry leaders.
He added that the union will allow developers to regain control over the industry they’re passionate about, ensuring the creation of excellent games by skilled workers who receive good benefits and have long-term job security, rather than focusing solely on short-term profits.
id Software, the studio behind popular games like DOOM and Quake, recently released DOOM: The Dark Ages, which was praised and even won an award for its accessibility features at the 2025 Game Awards. Importantly, this launch marks a significant moment: every game studio in North America owned by ZeniMax Media is now unionized, following similar moves by Bethesda and ZeniMax Online Studios last year.
Nearly 4,000 game developers working under Microsoft are now part of a union, with more organizing efforts happening at Activision and Blizzard Entertainment. Chris Hays, a lead programmer at id Software, explained that remote work is essential for developers’ health, families, and accessibility needs, and that company policies shouldn’t ignore these factors. He believes a union will give everyone a voice in important decisions.
This push for unionization comes at a time when the gaming industry has seen many layoffs and studio closures, including within Microsoft itself.
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2025-12-14 16:39