Blizzard's Diablo team forms union after layoffs

The video game sector witnessed another step in the unionization movement, with the Diablo team at Blizzard forming a union with the Communications Workers of America (CWA). The decision, which was supported by more than 450 developers, aims to provide protection and stability in a time of uncertainty for the industry.

The union comes after a series of mass layoffs by Microsoft in June, which caused insecurity among the employees. Diablo game producer and organizing committee member, Kelly Yeo, stated that "with each round of mass layoffs, I have witnessed the terror among my coworkers grow because it seems like no amount of hard work is enough to protect us."

The union is made up of developers, artists, designers, engineers, and support staff working on the Diablo franchise. Senior software engineer Nav Bhatti spoke about the "passion tax," a term used to describe how passion for the industry is exploited to justify poor working conditions. "My entire career as a developer has seen my colleagues and I paying the 'passion tax' for working in an industry that we love," said Bhatti, who believes that "forming a union is what we are doing - holding our ground in the industry."

The unionization movement within Microsoft is gaining momentum. With the Diablo team, there are now over 3,500 Microsoft employees in unions organized by the CWA. The team joins other already unionized groups, such as the story development team at Blizzard, as well as employees at ZeniMax Media and Raven Software.

Jason Justice, president of CWA Local 9510, said that "what is happening here is part of a much larger story about turning the tide in an industry that has long neglected its workforce." He added that "entertainment workers in film, television, music, and now video games are coming together to have a seat at the table."

The formation of the Diablo team's union is a sign that developers are seeking more security. Do you think this wave of unionization could spread to other major companies in the gaming industry?