- By Alex David
- Sun, 01 Jun 2025 09:36 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
In a landmark move for the gaming industry, Microsoft has officially signed its first-ever contract with a video game union, marking a significant shift in labour relations within tech and game development. The agreement, reached with the Communications Workers of America (CWA), covers quality assurance workers at ZeniMax, a Microsoft-owned game studio. This contract is seen as a major victory for game developers advocating for better working conditions, job security, and fair wages. It also sets a precedent for other companies in the industry, signalling a growing momentum for unionisation in tech. Microsoft’s willingness to collaborate is being hailed as a step forward in fostering a more inclusive and equitable workplace culture in the gaming sector.
In a historic step forward for workers in the gaming industry, the unionised QA testers at ZeniMax–a gaming studio within Microsoft–have formally agreed to a contract deal with the tech company. This becomes Microsoft’s first union contract in the U.S. and comes after more than two years of negotiations.
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Microsoft-ZeniMax Union Contract: Key Highlights
Contract Vote Date: Union members will elect to ratify the agreement on June 20.
Pay Increase: The contract includes a 13.5% increase in salary on July 1, 2025.
AI Clause: The agreement includes the prior understood contract terms concerning the application and use of AI in the workplace.
Historic Milestone for Video Game Workers
Page Branson, currently a QA tester and bargaining committee member, termed the agreement:
“A monumental victory for all current video game workers and for those that come after.”
This follows the unionisation of around 300 ZeniMax QA testers in 2022 through CWA. The union’s reach has expanded within Microsoft, where they now represent more than 2,000 video game workers within the company.
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Future Considerations and Impacts on the Workforce
Such an agreement might indicate a more profound change in the gaming industry’s workforce relations. Microsoft has remained non-union, hostile towards ZeniMax since its acquisition in 2021, distinguishing itself from other tech firms notorious for union avoidance.
If approved, the ZeniMax contract stands to establish a landmark framework for subsequent union negotiating deals within the technology and gaming sectors.