Game Changer: First Video Game Union Launched at GDC 2025!

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Summary

  • The first North American video game industry-wide union, United Videogame Workers, was announced at GDC 2025.
  • The union’s first primary focus is addressing the recent wave of video game company layoffs.
  • Any video game worker in the U.S. or Canada can join UVW-CWA.

A union for the North American video game industry has recently been established, making its debut at the Game Developers Conference this week. Over the last few years, prominent gaming companies such as ZeniMax Online Studios, Bethesda Game Studios, and Sega of America have joined forces to form unions, part of a broader effort advocating for improved working conditions within the video game industry. This union’s emergence at GDC is being hailed by many as a positive step forward.

During this week’s Game Developers Conference 2025, the first-ever North American video game union was unveiled – United Videogame Workers. In collaboration with Communications Workers of America, they aim to foster a sense of unity and camaraderie among video game workers while launching widespread education initiatives about labor organizing within the industry. This newly formed union, known as a direct-join organization, welcomes any video game professional from the United States or Canada, regardless of their job title or the status of their coworkers – whether they’re artists, writers, designers, QA testers, or programmers.

According to a recent announcement by UVW-CWA, which was reported by IGN, their main concern at the moment is the ongoing layoffs in video game companies such as NetEase and Striking Distance Studios (the creators of The Callisto Protocol). Employees have started a petition regarding this issue at the Game Developers Conference (GDC). UVW-CWA also intends to organize several discussions at the current conference, along with a rally and launch celebration to raise awareness and commemorate the establishment of North America’s first industry-wide video game union. Attendees will have access to a booth on the GDC 2025 exhibition floor that provides a magazine containing details about joining UVW-CWA.

United Video Game Workers Announced at Game Developer’s Conference 2025

It’s only natural that we unveil this union at the Game Developers Conference, given that early discussions about unionizing the video game sector started here at GDC 2018. A roundtable discussion during this event marked the inception of Game Workers Unite, a movement striving to establish a unionized gaming industry.

Since the significant gathering, numerous publishers and creators have established unions. This development has led to the gaming industry’s first major North American labor union for workers, which comes at a time of substantial layoffs and an ongoing voice actor strike. The emergence of United Videogame Workers is a significant stride towards ensuring fair treatment for the diligent employees who craft the games that gamers love. Further details about UVW-CWA and the process of joining this new union will be shared during Game Developers Conference 2025.

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2025-03-19 18:14