CODE-CWA

Not the top Steam review of Dressmaker making me cry this morning!

"I made it 68 words into Fortune's rhapsody to Sharma, who the publication is positioning as 'The non-gamer CEO racing to save Microsoft’s Xbox,' before my head swivelled so hard I practically became an owl."

Support independent games journalism!

Creating amazing games shouldn’t come at the expense of our wellbeing. Join Tanner in the fight against burnout, sign our petition, and help make the gaming industry a better place! actionnetwork.org/forms/uwotcp...

I joined the @aftermath.site crew this week to chat through my pivot to independence with @verticalslice.news and other video game GUBBINS. Here's my partial take on the Asha Sharma marketing tour:

Everyone’s talking about AI, but no one’s actually asking workers how it’s affecting us. So we’ve done it ourselves. Today we are launching the AI Workers’ Inquiry, a new study led by workers themselves, into the way AI is changing work. Read it at go.utaw.tech/ai

It's a small issue in the context of *gestures* everything, but who is writing these corporate emails. Why would you brag about being the "number one publisher in Western HD gaming" when you're upending hundreds of lives. Jesus wept.

Consolidation is killing our industry. The Gamergaters who make money off the rage game will have you think this is a victory. This is purely a loss. A loss of work and art and fun and expression in a space that desperately needs it. Massive fucking bummer.

Less than 12 weeks ago, EA was effectively purchased by Saudi Arabia and Donald Trump's son-in-law for $55B in a deal that saddled the company with around $20B in debt. 12 weeks. That's how long it took for them to shutter a decades-old studio in BioWare and deem people surplus to requirements.

from an FAQ EA published about the saudi deal last year aftermath.site/ea-saudi-ara...

The goose was not valued

Employees of the Obama Foundation and Presidential Center are forming their union with @ilcwuafscme.bsky.social. To stand with them, add your name here: actionnetwork.org/forms/obama?...

As we wait for the Rockstar tribunal to resume, here's another speech from one of the fired workers as they demonstrated outside the hearing. This is Jacob Jones, formerly an Associate Game Designer on GTA VI's open world team:

Activision union workers begin fundraising to prepare for possible strike

'the price of the [Xbox] Helix console has internally been projected to cost consumers between $1,200 and $1,800, unless Microsoft decides to subsidize the cost' -Game Pass planning major overhaul (a la carte) -next-gen handheld by 2027 holidays, console 2028 holidays fortune.com/2026/10/20/t...

Absolutely repugnant behavior.

With Call of Duty release near and no union contract in sight, Activision workers authorize strike aftermath.site/activision-qa-...

“Our members are tired of the stalling and are prepared to do what needs to be done to secure a fair contract, a fair wage, and fair working conditions for everyone.” cwa-union.org/news/release...

after two years of bargaining thanks to activision's stall tactics, unionized workers have authorized a strike. I spoke to them, as well as an ex-employee with disability issues who was basically forced out of the company due to the return-to-office policies the union has been trying to fight

Epic Games is retooling for "maximum AI acceleration" seven months after laying off 1,000 workers

“LaborLab, a workers’ rights watchdog group, estimates that AutoZone spent around $200,000 trying to defeat the union. ‘They do everything except pay you more,’ said Murray.” jacobin.com/2026/10/auto...

This morning, the D&D team and Magic's Studio X informed our leadership of our intent to unionize. We love the games we make and the work we do, and unionizing is how we protect that work. unitedwizardsofthecoast.com/news/dnd-stu...

Has anyone heard anything about this guy www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKwp...

Support the Rockstar workers who were unjustly fired, and those that remain! A victory here could change the course of the whole industry!

After years of company stalling, Blizzard workers win mega-contract that applies to all unionized teams aftermath.site/blizzard-union...

Guaranteed remote and hybrid protections. Salary increases. Recall rights to open positions 14 months after a layoff anywhere in Blizzard. Massive congratulations to the units at Blizzard for securing these rights (and more) in their historic contract! A win for one is a win for all ✊

blizzard workers had to fight tooth and nail for years, but they finally did it: they secured a union contract not just for one team, but for all unionized units--warcraft, overwatch, diablo, and more

"Skilled" vs "unskilled" work is a lie. It doesn't matter what the job is, it shouldn't be possible to spend most of your waking hours working and still not make enough money to live.

The 40 hour work week. Compensation for overtime. The right to organize and strike. These were not inherent rights given to all in the US and Canada. They were fought for by the courageous workers who came before us. On Labor Day, we remember how far we've come, as well as our fight left ahead.

I am organizing this fundraiser again this year!! You can donate now and on the day of our stream, September 19!! If you’re in NYC, hit me up. We’re having an in-person event for the stream!

This is exactly why we organize! The ability to go to arbitration and win @karenattiah.bsky.social her job back only exists because of the strong @postguild.bsky.social collective bargaining agreement. Solidarity forever! ✊

Check out some of the excellent signs made by our members for the rallies! Not all of them ended up in the press coverage, but these are too good not to share 😁

today's rally in Austin, TX to protest XBox layoffs & support union bargaining. it was 100F, but members of @cwaunion.bsky.social, @videogameworkers.bsky.social, Activision, @zosunited.bsky.social, @bethesdaunion.bsky.social, ZSSU, the city council's Mike Siegel & AFL-CIO's Ana Gonzalez showed up!

Workers who develop beloved video game franchises are determined to protect human creativity and job quality from corrosive uses of AI.

Please read their entire thread! An excellent write up from our friends at @videogameworkers.bsky.social ✊

14 years ago I wanted to work with Blizzard so badly, I got myself hired as a figure model for the drawing classes and drove 3 hours+ to/from Irvine every week. Now after hosting at Blizzcon, voicing characters, and making lifelong friends on the teams, I support making Blizz BETTER for them. 💜

“The Elder Scrolls VI: Laid Off” Brought to you by the developers XBOX laid off last month.

Without game developers, there are no video games. Join us across nine cities next Tuesday, August 18th, as we rally for the rights of workers in the games industry. All allies welcome - when we fight boss battles together, WE WIN! ✊ Details: actionnetwork.org/event_campai...

Today at HQ, we had special guests from Microsoft leadership. We refuse to let executives forget what game studios are actually made of: their workers. As welcome gift, we placed hundreds of flags outside, honoring all of the game workers who have been laid off by Microsoft in 2026 (so far).

NEW: CWA union members have inflated a giant rat and deployed a wall of red flags representing laid off Xbox workers outside the Bethesda office in Rockville. The protest was timed to coincide with a visit from Xbox CEO Asha Sharma, who is apparently at the studio today.

All the video game studios that refuse to use generative AI aftermath.site/video-games-no...

Today we begin the official NLRB election for recognition of our union. We start with in person voting today followed by a period for remote workers to mail in ballots. We’re excited for every worker to have a chance to vote and look forward to the results in a couple weeks.

GTA fans have been on the edge of their seats at the rumours a new video is about to drop… Well the wait is over. We present: the public launch of the Rockstar IWGB Game Workers Union. Our platform, to tell our story. youtu.be/iLOq_6rOpoM

Happy Pride Month from CWA! 🌈

It's a known fact that being part of a union makes you 13% more attractive

Declaring summer 2026 Hot Union Summer

"I am organizing for many reasons, but the biggest of which is I want to make working at Arena better for everyone; I love my team, and I’m tired of our lives being shaken up by top-down decisions that we have no say in."