What you need to know
- ZeniMax Workers United is a union that represents over 300 quality assurance employees at Microsoft that work on Bethesda Softworks titles such as Fallout 76 and Starfield.
- ZeniMax Workers United is going on strike for a day, with the union members explaining that Microsoft is not meeting their demands for remote work.
- The union also seeks to limit the amount of quality assurance work being outsourced.
One of the largest unions in the gaming industry is taking a big step.
ZeniMax Workers United-CWA announced on Wednesday that the union is going on strike, with workers across the United States claiming that Microsoft has not met their demands in regards to remote work and outsourcing quality assurance (QA) work. ZeniMax Workers United represents over 300 QA employees who work on Bethesda Softworks games like Fallout and Starfield.
"Outsourcing and remote work are both important issues facing our unit and the workplace, and the industry as a whole," ZeniMax Workers United tells me. While many employees were initially hired during the pandemic and have been able to do their jobs remotely, Microsoft and ZeniMax are not allowing QA employees to work remotely full-time anymore.
On outsourcing QA, the union isn't opposed to some outsourcing on projects (as it's something present in practically all larger-scale game development) but instead has a problem with Microsoft going behind the union's back to have work outsourced.
"We understand that outsourcing has a place in testing and development. The issue is that Microsoft is taking action without notice or negotiation with our union. They are also effectively replacing in-house QA work with outsourced work," ZeniMax Workers United says.
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Unionization is growing strong roots at Microsoft Gaming
Microsoft acquired ZeniMax for $8.1 billion in March 2021. As part of Microsoft's efforts to acquire Activision Blizzard King, the company committed to remaining neutral in worker unionization efforts, signing an agreement with the Communication Workers of America (CWA). The months following this agreement first saw unionization with ZeniMax QA workers, then at Activision.
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In 2024, following layoffs and studio closures across the industry, entire gaming studios and teams under Microsoft organized, with both Bethesda Game Studios and Blizzard Entertainment's World of Warcraft team fully unionizing. Naturally, all of these unions under Microsoft Gaming are coordinating and assisting each other where possible.
Despite the steps being taken with this strike, I'm told that ZeniMax Workers United has made some progress in its contract discussions with Microsoft, just not on the topics of remote work and outsourced QA.
"Negotiations are progressing and ongoing in good faith," the union says. "However, when it comes to these key issues, we are running into massive roadblocks."
