A total of 241 developers working at Bethesda Game Studios have come together to form the “first wall-to-wall union” among Microsoft’s owned video game studios, the group announced this week. The Bethesda developers joined the Communications Workers of America group with their newly founded union now recognized by Microsoft as well. The unionization of the developers follows a period of ramping layoffs affecting the gaming industry with Bethesda and other parts of Microsoft hit early last year with layoffs.
An announcement from the Communications Workers of America shared this week confirmed the unionization of the 241 Bethesda Game Studios employees with the union consisting of artists, programmers, designers, and engineers, the group said. Bethesda Game Studios, as Bethesda fans will recall, is the studio that makes some of Bethesda’s core franchise games like Fallout 76, Starfield, and the upcoming The Elder Scrolls 6.
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“We are so excited to announce our union at Bethesda Game Studio and join the movement sweeping across the video game industry,” senior system designer and CWA member Mandi Parker said in a statement. “It is clear that every worker can benefit from bringing democracy into the workplace and securing a protected voice on the job. We’re thrilled to get down to brass tacks and win a fair contract, proving that our unity is a source of real power to positively shape our working conditions, our lives, and the company as a whole.”
Over on X, an account set up for this Bethesda Game Studio union said its goals are to better establish a “safe, sustainable, and equitable work environment for all.
“Joining in solidarity with our fellow members at @ZeniMaxWorkers, @OneBGS_MTL, and all of @CWAUnion, we push for increased job security, compensation transparency, and flexibility to continue creating the games we love,” the group said. “As we work towards our first contract with Microsoft, we hope you’ll join us in voicing your support as we serve as an example for all, into the next era of game development.”
While Bethesda was hit last year with layoffs, jobs have been impacted countless times across the gaming industry since then with studios big and small hit over the past year. These layoffs have coincided with game cancellations at times as well. The frequency of these layoffs continue to promote conversations about video game developers unionizing similar to what we’ve seen from Bethesda Game Studio this week.
