Bethesda Game Studios votes to unionize, over 1,750 games workers now unionized under Microsoft

The majority of developers at key Bethesda Game Studios have voted to unionize, becoming the first "wall-to-wall" union under Microsoft.

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Bethesda's core game development studios have unionized under the Communication Workers of America (CWA), including BGS' headquarters in Rockville, Maryland alongside its satellite studios in Austin and Dallas. The company's Montreal-based studio also seeking unionization at the CWA's Canadian branch.

This marks a historic occasion as Bethesda was the initial group to form a solidified union under Microsoft, with the union encompassing all disciplines at the billion-dollar games group. Combined with the recently-formed union at Blizzard, the CWA now represents over 1,750 Microsoft game workers.

"Workers at Bethesda Game Studios have joined the Communications Workers of America, forming the first wall-to-wall union at a Microsoft video game studio. A majority of the 241 developers, including artists, engineers, programmers, and designers, have either signed a union authorization card or indicated that they wanted union representation via an online portal," reads CWA's announcement post.

Bethesda's US-based union said this on Twitter:

"We, a majority of developers at Bethesda Game Studios Dallas, Rockville, and Austin, are ecstatic to announce the formation of our union with @CWAUnion.

"Together as #OneBGSUSA, we advocate for the betterment of every developer at BGS, setting the new standard for our industry.

"As a democratic organization, we seek to empower the collective wishes of our studios' workers; having a safe, sustainable, and equitable work environment for all. Having a proper seat at the discussion table allows us to turn those wishes into reality.

"Joining in solidarity with our fellow members at @ZeniMaxWorkers, @OneBGS_MTL and all of @CWAUnion we push for increased job security, compensation transparency, and flexibility to continue creating the games we love."

Bethesda Game Studios' Montreal division had this to say on Twitter:

We, the developers of Bethesda Game Studios Montreal, are proud to announce that, today, we celebrate filing for certification with the Quebec Labour Board with the intention of unionizing with @cwacanada1 and joining the broader @CWAunion family.