Exciting news for gamers and industry professionals alike: over 200 developers at Bethesda Game Studios, known for their iconic franchises like The Elder Scrolls and Fallout, have joined forces with the Communications Workers of America (CWA) in a historic unionization move. The CWA announced that 241 workers, spanning roles from artists to engineers, have either signed union authorization cards or expressed their desire for union representation through an online portal.
This isn’t just any unionization effort – Microsoft, the parent company of Bethesda, has officially recognized the union. This marks a milestone for the gaming industry, as the CWA notes that this is the first “wall-to-wall union” at a Microsoft video game studio. Previous unions at Microsoft-owned studios have primarily consisted of QA workers, but now, all eligible job titles at Bethesda will be represented by the CWA.
The Bethesda developers are now proud members of CWA Local 2108 in Maryland and CWA Local 6215 in Texas. Microsoft has not yet provided a statement in response to this groundbreaking development.
Stay tuned for more updates on this significant shift in the gaming world!
