A group of 1,900 employees at Blizzard Entertainment has successfully signed a union contract with Microsoft, securing several guarantees for members. Represented by the Communications Workers of America (CWA), the contract has given the Blizzard workers more workplace flexibility and guaranteed wage increases, but several other industry-first agreements could make this a blueprint for other video game unions to follow. One of the big wins for the Blizzard union is artificial intelligence guardrails, as the contract stipulates that Microsoft cannot use AI to automate or replace jobs without first talking to the union.

Another big win are the job-recall rights for employees, because if they're laid off, Blizzard must offer them an open role within 14 months and inside the union's network before hiring someone from outside. Laid-off union members will also get an additional four weeks of pay, hybrid schedules, and formal systems to settle disputes. "It's a new day at Blizzard, where greater power for workers is translating into more innovative games for players," CWA president Claude Cummings, Jr. said. In an interview with Aftermath, Blizzard workers spoke about how the negotiating process with Microsoft dragged on.

These protections come at a time when Microsoft has been called out for mass layoffs at Xbox Game Studios, which started with 1,600 retrenchments. The gaming industry has historically had very few unions, leaving workers with little say during these dark times.