Microsoft announced that it will not object to Activision-Blizzard recognizing internal unionization efforts, in response to a letter from Activision workers pressing the company to state its position about a potential union at Call of Duty studio Raven Software. This has become one of the biggest hurdles to clear since Microsoft purchased the embattled company for $69 billion, but this is a major step forward in achieving harmony for what is the biggest merger/acquisition in the gaming industry to date.
“Microsoft will not stand in the way if Activision-Blizzard recognizes a union,” said a Microsoft spokesperson. “Microsoft respects Activision-Blizzard employees’ right to choose whether to be represented by a labor organization and we will honor those decisions.”
Microsoft did not clarify what discussions have taken place, nor its expectations for any collective bargaining process. Unionization has become a hot topic in the gaming industry of late. Besides Activision-Blizzard workers going on strike, there have been serious allegations made regarding sexual harassment and workplace toxicity at Riot Games and Ubisoft, as well as other significant companies. Many video game employees are seeing now, more than ever, that it’s time to unionize to alleviate these problems.
(All information was provided by Axios)