Raven Software QA workers ratify union contract with Microsoft — securing better pay and the “elimination of crunch time”

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After prolonged negotiations, Raven Software Quality Assurance (QA) testers have agreed to a union contract with Microsoft, resulting in several advantages and making them the second gaming union to seal an agreement with the tech titan.

The unanimous vote guarantees wage hikes, as revealed in a statement by the Communication Workers of America (CWA), stating that testers will receive a 10% salary boost over a two-year period.

The contract also does away with crunch, requiring a seven-day notice before any compulsory overtime is scheduled to commence.

Other perks include enhanced disability coverage, a fair promotion process, and protection against layoffs.

Erin Hall, QA tester at Raven Software and a member of the bargaining committee, expressed her elation: “After more than three years of organizing and negotiating, seeing our efforts finally bear fruit is incredibly rewarding.”

“From the outset, we made it a priority to ensure every voice was heard, and the contract we’ve achieved reflects our needs – better compensation, clear career paths, and protection from exhaustion. This is a contract that acknowledges the value of QA work. I am proud of what we have accomplished, and I hope it serves as an inspiration to other game workers, demonstrating that organizing is effective – and worth the effort,” she added.

Raven Software is one of several studios under the Activision banner. Besides spearheading initiatives on the free-to-play battle royale Call of Duty: Warzone, the studio has also been instrumental in developing multiple single-player campaigns, including last year’s Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and this year’s upcoming Black Ops 7.

A long fight to get to this point

Raven Software Quality Assurance (QA) team initiated their organization in January 2022, well before Activision Blizzard King was bought by Microsoft. Initially, they encountered opposition but eventually decided to unionize in May 2022.

In the same year as its acquisition bid, Microsoft pledged to stay impartial regarding any employee unionization efforts. This decision encouraged numerous teams and studios within its gaming division to unionize over the past couple of years.

Teams from Bethesda Game Studios, ZeniMax Online Studios, ZeniMax Media QA, Activision’s User Research team, Blizzard Entertainment developers working on Overwatch 2 and World of Warcraft, and many others have also organized themselves.

Raven Software QA workers are the second group to approve a contract with Microsoft, following the QA testers at ZeniMax Workers United who finalized their contract in June.

Great news after a turbulent past few weeks

This latest news follows closely on the heels of Microsoft’s announcement about layoffs within their Xbox division, including various parts of Activision Blizzard King.

Although the total number of layoffs has yet to be fully disclosed, it is known that many skilled workers have been let go from several teams, leading to the cancellation of projects like Perfect Dark and a new MMORPG from ZeniMax Online Studios.

Given these developments, there’s growing emphasis on unionization among employees as they strive to stand united against large corporations.

The struggle for Raven Software’s QA testers has been arduous, but their recent victory is certainly worth commemorating.

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2025-08-05 01:10