🇺🇸United States💥 strike
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192 actions
2024
33 actions
Paris🇫🇷France💥 strike
Workers at Don't Nod go on strike over redunancies
New York🇺🇸United States💥 strike
New York Times game workers join strike
🇺🇸United States🪧 demonstration
AQAU-CWA members hold protest against disability discrimination
Petaluma, California🇺🇸United States🤝 union
Workers at 2K Games' mocap studio unionise
Milan🇮🇹Italy💥 strike
Workers at Ubisoft Italy join strike against return-to-office
Barcelona🇪🇸Spain🪧 demonstration
King Barcelona workers protest against layoffs
🇫🇷France💥 strike
Workers at Ubisoft France strike for three days over return-to-office
California🇺🇸United States🚫 Boycott
Boycott of Big Bad Con
Barcelona🇪🇸Spain🤝 union
King Barcelona workers unionise
Wrocław🇵🇱Poland🤝 union
Workers at Techland unionise
Madrid🇪🇸Spain🤝 union
Electronic Arts Spain workers unionise
🇺🇸United States💥 strike
SAG-AFTRA game worker members go on strike
🇺🇸United States🤝 union
500 World of Warcraft workers form wall-to-wall union
Barcelona, Catalonia🇪🇸Spain🤝 union
Ubisoft Barcelona workers unionise
Andalusia and The Canary 🇪🇸Spain🤝 union
Workers at The Game Kitchen unionise
🇺🇸United States🤝 union
Bethesda Game Studios unionise
Warsaw🇵🇱Poland🤝 union
Polish Gamedev Union expands to Lionbridge Poland
New York🇺🇸United States🪧 demonstration
Workers at TCGplayer hold rally targetting eBay board of director
🇬🇧United Kingdom🤝 union
IWGB union starts recruiting tabletop game workers
🇨🇦Canada🤝 union
Game Workers Unite Montreal partners with CSN
Stockholm🇸🇪Sweden💼 collective bargaining
Avalanche Studios Group agrees to sign collective bargaining agreement with Unionen and Sveriges ingenjörer
🇺🇸United States💼 collective bargaining
150 workers at Sega of America win union contract
Gdańsk🇵🇱Poland🤝 union
Workers at Product Madness unionise
🇺🇸United States🤝 union
600 QA workers at Activision unionise
🇬🇧United Kingdom🎖️ campaign
Game workers criticise "reckless decision" by Rockstar to end remote working
🇺🇸United States🤝 union
IGN Creators Guild voluntarily recongised
🇵🇱Poland🤝 union
Workers at Flying Wild Hog unionise
d'Annecy, Montpellier, Paris🇫🇷France💥 strike
Game workers strike over wages at Ubisoft in France
🇩🇰Denmark🤝 union
Launch of joint union initiative Gameworkers in Denmark
🇺🇸United States🤝 union
Launch of the IGN Creators Guild
🇫🇮Finland🪧 demonstration
Game Makers of Finland join national walk out
🇪🇸Spain🤝 union
Launch of the CSVI union for video game workers in Spain
2023
23 actions
🇵🇱Poland🤝 union
Workers at 11 bit studios unionise
🇿🇦South Africa💥 strike
Workers at IGN Africa take strike action for Gaza
🇵🇱Poland🤝 union
Polish Gamedev Workers Union voluntarily recognised by CD Projeckt
Edmonton🇨🇦Canada🪧 demonstration
Keywords workers picket Bioware Edmonton office after being laid off
Milwaukee, WI 🇺🇸United States🤝 union
QA workers at one of Experis Games Solutions' locations vote to unionise
🇸🇪Sweden🤝 union
Workers Unionise at Avalanche Studios Group
🇺🇸United States⚖️ legal
Workers laid off at Keywords Studios file employment standards complaint
🇵🇱Poland🤝 union
Formation of Polish Gamedev Workers Union
New York🇺🇸United States🤝 union
Hex Workers United demands union recognition
🇺🇸United States💥 strike
SAG-AFTRA workers vote for strike over the Interactive Media Agreement
Rochester, NY🇺🇸United States🤝 union
Workinman Interactive Workers Unite
Georgia🇺🇸United States🤝 union
Workers at Corsair form union with Teamsters
🇰🇷South Korea🪧 demonstration
Workers protest at Kakao over layoffs
Paris🇫🇷France💥 strike
Strike at Kylotonn
California🇺🇸United States🤝 union
SEGA of America workers vote in favor of a union
🇬🇧United Kingdom🤝 union
Escape Room Workers Union formed with the IWW
🇮🇪Ireland🎖️ campaign
Gambrinous becomes second employer to join Game Workers Unite Ireland living wage campaign
North America💥 strike
League of Legends North American professional players walk out
Irvine, California🇺🇸United States🤝 union
Workers at SEGA in California form union
Syracuse, New York🇺🇸United States🤝 union
TCGplayer workers win union vote
Paris🇫🇷France💥 strike
Ubisoft workers in Paris strike for pay rise and 4 day work week
🇦🇺Australia⚖️ legal
Game worker in Australia wins $13,000 over employee claim
Syracuse, New York🇺🇸United States🤝 union
TCGplayer authentication workers form union with CWA
2022
24 actions
Boston🇺🇸United States🤝 union
Proletariat workers at Activision Blizzard form union and request recognition
Maryland and Texas🇺🇸United States🤝 union
Zenimax QA workers to vote on forming union
Fitchburg, WI🇺🇸United States🤝 union
Noble Knight Games workers form union with CWA
🇮🇪Ireland🎖️ campaign
Dreamfeel is the first employer to sign up to Game Workers Unite Ireland living wage campaign
Albany, New York🇺🇸United States🤝 union⚖️ legal
QA workers at Blizzard Albany win right to vote on forming a union
🇬🇧United Kingdom🌐 online protest
Videogame actors speak out over pay
Vancouver🇨🇦Canada🤝 union
Anemone Hug Interactive workers form union with IATSE
🇩🇪Germany💥 strike
Strike disrupts Overwatch Contenders EU broadcast
Los Angeles🇺🇸United States🤝 union
Workers at Tender Claws unionise with CWA
Albany, New York🇺🇸United States🤝 union
Activision Blizzard QA workers form a union in Albany, New York
Quality Assurance workers at Activision Blizzard who are located in Albany, New York vote to form a union with CODE-CWA. This is the second QA union to form at Activision Blizzard in the USA.
Berlin🇩🇪Germany🤝 union
First international conference on unionization
Bellevue, Washington🇺🇸United States🤝 union
Workers at Mox Boarding House Bellevue request union recognition
🇺🇸United States🤝 union
CWA announces a labor neutrality agreement with Microsoft
Edmonton🇨🇦Canada🤝 union
Keywords Studios QA workers at Bioware unanimously vote to unionise
Lincoln, Nebraska🇺🇸United States💥 strike
GameStop workers in Nebraska walk out over working conditions
🇰🇷South Korea💼 collective bargaining
Webzen union and the management agree to wage negotiation
Madison, Wisconsin🇺🇸United States🤝 union
Workers at Raven Software win vote for second videogame union in the USA
Zagreb🇭🇷Croatia💼 collective bargaining
Gamechuck signs the first collective agreement in the Croatian gaming industry
Alberta🇨🇦Canada🤝 union
Workers at Bioware contractors Keywords Studios file for union
🇺🇸United States🎖️ campaign
1,100 QA game testers at Activison Blizzard made permanent
🇰🇷South Korea💥 strike
Webzen union vote for strike
New York, New York🇺🇸United States💥 strike
Kotaku workers strike for remote work, better pay, and benefits
Montpellier🇫🇷France🤝 union
STJV publicly forms union section at Plug In Digital
Madison, Wisconsin🇺🇸United States🤝 union
Raven Software workers form union and ask for recognition
34 quality assurance Raven Software workers form a new union and ask management for recognition. This is following a strike from workers at Raven Software and Activision Blizzard, the parent company, when management laid off 12 workers.
2021
24 actions
Los Angeles, California🇺🇸United States⚖️ legal
Riot Games ordered to pay out $100 million in settlement over gender discrimination
🇺🇸United States🇨🇦Canada🤝 union
Vodeo Workers Unite the first video game union to be recognised in North America
🇺🇸United States💥 strike
Activision Blizzard workers go on strike and crowdfund for $1,000,000 strike fund
London🇬🇧United Kingdom🤝 union💼 collective bargaining
Collective agreement between Equity and voice acting studio in the UK
Wisconsin🇺🇸United States💥 strike
Workers walk out over game tester job cuts at Activision owned Raven Software
🇦🇺Australia🤝 union
Game Workers Australia form division of Professionals Australia Union
🇺🇸United States💥 strike
Activision Blizzard QA workers walk out in response to Raven QA layoffs
Nottingham🇬🇧United Kingdom🎖️ campaign🤝 union
Lockwood Publishing workers publicly demand company follow redundancy law
Seattle, Washington🇺🇸United States🤝 union💼 collective bargaining
United Paizo Workers union recognised by employer
Seattle, Washington🇺🇸United States🛠 worker organising🤝 union
Freelance workers at Paizo refuse new contracts until improvements made
40 Freelance workers at Paizo refuse to accept any new contracts until improvements were made at the company. On October 14th of the same year, they also added to their demands that the company recognize United Paizo Workers for the full-time workers.
🇺🇸United States🤝 union⚖️ legal
Workers at Activision Blizzard sue for labour violations
🇺🇸United States💥 strike🌐 online protest
Twitch streamers take day off in protest against Twitch's handling of hate raids
🇧🇷Brazil🌐 online protest
Twitch Blackout (Apagão da Twitch)
🇬🇧United Kingdom📄 open letter
Ubisoft workers publish open letter in support of Activision Blizzard worker walkout
California🇺🇸United States📄 open letter
Workers at Activision Blizzard launch open letter supporting lawsuit against sexual harassment
🇺🇸United States💥 strike🌐 online protest
Work stoppage and public statements in response to sexual harassment at Activision Blizzard
🇺🇸United States🌐 online protest
Games journalists pause coverage of Activision Blizzard and Ubisoft
California🇺🇸United States⚖️ legal
Lawsuit filed against Activision Blizzard for discrimination and sexual harrassment
🇫🇷France🤝 union
Solidaires Informatique sues Ubisoft for institutional sexual harassment
Solidaires Informatique sues Ubisoft for institutional sexual harassment on behalf of workers at Ubisoft. The complaints target the Ubisoft group as a legal person and several members of the leadership. The union is asking all people who have been victims of the Ubisoft group to join in on this collective action. They're calling on everyone interested (unionised or not) to contact them, whether to testify or to file a complaint.
🇬🇧United Kingdom📄 open letter
Workers at Fusebox Games send open letter to management
🇺🇸United States📄 open letter
IGN workers write open letter about editorial autonomy
IGN management removed an article supporting Palestinian charities without consulting the workers. In response, the workers draft and submit an open letter asking for it to be reinstated.
🇰🇷South Korea🤝 union
Workers form union at Webzen
Toronto, Ontario🇨🇦Canada💼 collective bargaining🤝 union
Canadian performers ratify collective bargaining agreement with Game On Creative
2020
21 actions
Southern California🇺🇸United States🛠 worker organising
GWU Los Angeles and GWU Orange County merge to form Game Workers of Southern California
New York🇺🇸United States💼 collective bargaining
Union contract with Future plc ratified
Qormi🇲🇹Malta⚖️ legal🤝 union
General Workers Union files court injunction to stop NetEnt layoffs
Chicago, Illinois🇺🇸United States💼 collective bargaining🤝 union
Cards Against Humanity workers ratify collective bargaining agreement
🇺🇸United States🤝 union💼 collective bargaining
SAG-AFTRA extends video game voice acting contract to November 2022
Versailles🇫🇷France💥 strike🤝 union
Strike in Versailles over closure of Blizzard office
🇸🇪Sweden💼 collective bargaining
Thunderful Games signs onto sectoral collective bargaining agreement
🇫🇷France🤝 union
STJV publicly forms union sections at Dontnod Entertainment, Ankama and Amplitude Studios
Montpellier🇫🇷France🤝 union
STJV publicly forms union section at Ubisoft Montpellier
Annecy🇫🇷France🤝 union
STJV publicly forms union section at Ubisoft Annecy
Irvine, California🇺🇸United States🛠 worker organising
Blizzard workers launch anonymous wage spreadsheet in response to wage disparity
Montreuil🇫🇷France🤝 union⚖️ legal
Solidaires Informatique launch collective lawsuit against Ubisoft
San Francisco, California🇺🇸United States💥 strike
Writers for Voltage's Lovestruck win 21 strike
A group of freelance workers involved with Lovestruck launched a strike at Voltage USA. The 21 writers formed Voltage Organized Workers and organised the strike. The workers, many of whom were members of marginalized genders and/or sexualities, were being made much less than industry standards on tight timelines. They demanded that Voltage USA recognise them and meet demands around better working conditions, greater transparency, and increased protections. The strike raised almost US$9,000 in donations and the petition was signed by 4,000 supporters. The 21-day strike was the successful game workers strike, resulting in pay increases (78% on average – with the largest individual pay rise of 94%) and improved transparency.
🇰🇷South Korea🤝 union
Workers form union at Xlgames
Paris🇫🇷France🤝 union
STJV publicly forms union section at Ubisoft Paris
Chicago, Illinois🇺🇸United States🤝 union
Cards Against Humanity workers unionise
Stockholm🇸🇪Sweden💼 collective bargaining
Swedish unions Unionen and SACO sign collective agreement with Paradox Interactive
The Swedish unions Unionen and SACO signed a collective bargaining agreement with Paradox Interactive, a publisher and game developer. As part of the agreement, workers a Paradox can bargain over their pay, benefits, responsibilities, and more. The agreement covers all Paradox workers in Sweden.
Zagreb🇭🇷Croatia🤝 union💼 collective bargaining
Negotiation of collective agreement at Gamechuck
🇺🇸United States🤝 union
Workers at US Future launch union campaign with Writers Guild of America
🇰🇷South Korea🤝 union💼 collective bargaining
Nexon Korea agrees to 6.8% pay rise in union negotiation
🇨🇦Canada🇺🇸United States🤝 union
The CWA launches CODE: The Campaign to Organize Digital Employees
The CWA (Communication Workers of America) launched a new initiative to unionise game and tech workers. The campaign hired two organisers, Emma Kinema and Wes McEnany, to provide support for workers to unionise. Emma previously co-founded Game Workers Unite and organised with workers in the Southern California chapters.
2019
20 actions
🇪🇸Spain🛠 worker organising
Launch of Game Workers Unite Spain
🇨🇳China🌐 online protest
Online protests follow the sacking of videogame designer at NetEase
🇫🇷France💥 strike
Workers in STJV strike for 54 days against government proposed pension reforms
🇫🇷France🌐 online protest
Le Stream Reconductible stream marathon raises over €150,000 for union strike funds
🇮🇪Ireland🤝 union
Launch of Game Workers Unite branch of Financial Service Union Ireland
Workers in Ireland organising as Game Workers Unite formed a branch of the Irish FSU (Financial Services Union).
Portland, Oregon🇺🇸United States🛠 worker organising
Launch of Game Workers Unite Portland
London🇬🇧United Kingdom🛠 worker organising🤝 union
IWGB launches campaign to defend victimised member at ustwo Games
🇰🇷South Korea🤝 union🪧 demonstration
Demonstration of Smilegate workers
🇰🇷South Korea🤝 union🪧 demonstration
Demonstration of Nexon workers
🇮🇪Ireland🛠 worker organising
Launch of Game Workers Unite Ireland
British Columbia🇨🇦Canada🛠 worker organising🤝 union
Voice Actor Union wins agreement to use union only actors with Nintendo for Dragalia Lost
🇺🇸United States🌐 online protest
Twitch streamers boycott platform in support of striking Amazon workers
🇺🇸United States💼 collective bargaining
Vox Media Union secure union contract
🇺🇸United States💥 strike
Vox Media workers stage one-day walkout over union contract
🇫🇷France🤝 union
Workers at Blizzard Entertainment SAS issue union statement against layoffs
Los Angeles, California🇺🇸United States💥 strike
Workers at Riot Games in Los Angeles walk out over use of forced arbitration
Workers at Riot Games in Los Angeles organised a walk out over the company’s use of forced arbitration in lawsuits. There are currently five active lawsuits over workplace harassment, discrimination, and Equal Pay Act violations. Forced arbitration prevents workers having the right to a verdict from a jury or judge. 150 workers joined the protest, making it the largest walkout in the games industry so far. This follows Google ending forced arbitration after protests involving 20,000 workers.
Paris🇫🇷France🤝 union
Solidaires Informatique issues statement on sexual harassment at Quantic Dream
🇺🇸United States🤝 union
Future recognizes union
🇦🇷Argentina🛠 worker organising
Launch of Game Workers Unite Argentina
🇮🇹Italy🛠 worker organising
Launch of Game Workers Unite Italy
2018
29 actions
Washington, DC🇺🇸United States🛠 worker organising
Launch of Game Workers Unite DC
London🇬🇧United Kingdom🤝 union
Launch of the game workers branch of the IWGB
The Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB) launched the first ever branch for workers in the UK's video games industry. It aims to tackle the wide-scale exploitation that is now common in one of the fastest-growing sectors in the UK economy.
Orange County, California🇺🇸United States🛠 worker organising
Launch of Game Workers Unite Orange County
Atlanta, Georgia🇺🇸United States🛠 worker organising
Launch of Game Workers Unite Atlanta
🇰🇷South Korea🤝 union
Workers form union at Smilegate
Boston, Massachusetts🇺🇸United States🛠 worker organising
Launch of Game Workers Unite Boston
🇰🇷South Korea🤝 union
Workers form union at Nexon
Dallas, Texas🇺🇸United States🛠 worker organising
Launch of Game Workers Unite Dallas
Vancouver🇨🇦Canada🛠 worker organising
Launch of Game Workers Unite Vancouver
New York City, New York🇺🇸United States🛠 worker organising
Launch of Game Workers Unite New York City
Seattle, Washington🇺🇸United States🛠 worker organising
Launch of Game Workers Unite Seattle
Manchester🇬🇧United Kingdom💬 meeting
First game worker organising meeting in the UK
Baltimore🇺🇸United States🛠 worker organising
Launch of Game Workers Unite Baltimore
🇦🇺Australia🛠 worker organising
Launch of Game Workers Unite Australia
Montréal, Quebec🇨🇦Canada🛠 worker organising
Launch of Game Workers Unite Montréal
🇧🇷Brazil🛠 worker organising
Launch of Game Workers Unite Brazil
🇩🇪Germany🛠 worker organising
Launch of Game Workers Unite Deutschland
Sao Paulo🇧🇷Brazil📄 open letter
Game Workers in Sao Paulo write an open letter to BIG Festival demanding transparency and changes
Bay Area, California🇺🇸United States🛠 worker organising
Launch of Game Workers Unite Bay Area
North Carolina🇺🇸United States🛠 worker organising
Launch of Game Workers Unite Triangle
Toronto, Ontario🇨🇦Canada🛠 worker organising
Launch of Game Workers Unite Toronto
Southern California🇺🇸United States🛠 worker organising
Launch of Game Workers Unite Los Angeles
Chicago, Illinois🇺🇸United States🛠 worker organising
Launch of Game Workers Unite Chicago
Orlando, Florida🇺🇸United States🛠 worker organising
Launch of Game Workers Unite Orlando
Austin, Texas🇺🇸United States🛠 worker organising
Launch of Game Workers Unite Austin
Seoul🇰🇷South Korea🤝 union
KCTU condemns victimisation of female game developer at IMC Games
San Francisco, California🇺🇸United States💬 meeting
GDC 2018 "Union Now? Pros, Cons, and Consequences of Unionization for Game Devs."
This roundtable event featuring the IGDA executive director Jennifer Maclean, as well as representatives from the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees union Steve Kaplan and Katie Ryan, sparked widespread discussion in the industry about unionisation. The event became a focus for the establishment of Game Workers Unite.
San Francisco, California🇺🇸United States🛠 worker organising
Launch of Game Workers Unite
Paris🇫🇷France💥 strike
Workers at Eugen Systems go on strike for 48 days
2017
5 actions
🇫🇮Finland🤝 union
Launch of Game Makers of Finland trade union
🇺🇸United States🤝 union💼 collective bargaining
SAG-AFTRA strike ends with a deal
🇫🇷France🤝 union
Workers form Syndicate of Video Game Workers (or STJV)
Los Angeles🇺🇸United States🤝 union🪧 demonstration
SAG-AFTRA holds demonstration in Los Angeles during strike
🇸🇪Sweden💼 collective bargaining
Toca Boca workers win sick pay rights from day one
2016
1 action
California🇺🇸United States💥 strike
Voice actors in SAG-AFTRA union launch strike after failed negotiations
2013
1 action
Yantai🇨🇳China📄 open letter
Student workers at Foxconn threaten to sabotage PS4 production
2012
1 action
Wuhan🇨🇳China💥 strike
Strike of workers at Foxconn factory that make Xbox consoles
Workers at a Foxconn factory in Wuhan that assemble Xbox video game consoles protest over a job dispute. Estimates ranged from 80 to 200 workers involved in the strike. Foxconn announced it was close the production line for Microsoft’s Xbox 360 console and transfer some workers to other roles, but then reneged on paying severance to other workers. Workers climbed onto the roof of a factory dormitory, with some threatening to jump to their deaths. This follows collective actions in factories that produce technology for other companies, including Apple.
2011
1 action
Lyon🇫🇷France💥 strike
Workers at Eden Games take strike action against Atari
2009
2 actions
Clermont-Ferrand🇫🇷France💥 strike
Prizee workers go on strike to protest layoffs
Toronto, Ontario🇨🇦Canada📄 open letter
Call for a Game Developers Guild
2005
1 action
🇺🇸United States🤝 union💼 collective bargaining
SAG-AFTRA Reaches Agreement Over Game Voice Actor Strike
A strike by video game voice actors in the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) was called off after a new agreement reached. The bargaining agreement includes a 36% increase in minimum pay, with 25% implemented immediately, as well as increased benefits and protections.
2004
1 action
🇺🇸United States📄 open letter
ea_spouse open letter
The ea_spouse letter was written by a spouse of an Electronic Arts worker who had been crunching for excessive amounts of hours. The letter drew public attention to the issue of crunch in the video games industry and led to two class action lawsuits which were settled for a total of $30.5 million.
1998
1 action
🇫🇷France🌐 online protest
Launch of Ubifree virtual union website at Ubisoft
1986
1 action
Bay Area, California🇺🇸United States⚖️ legal
Former Atari workers win $600,000 in backpay
1985
1 action
Limerick🇮🇪Ireland💥 strike⛺️ occupation
Atari workers strike and occupy factory in Limerick
1983
1 action
Bay Area, California🇺🇸United States🤝 union💼 collective bargaining
Atari workers lose union recognition vote
1955
1 action
🇯🇵Japan💥 strike
Nintendo workers go on hunger strike to stop the relocation of a factory
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