Activision’s Raven Software employees formed a union

Call of Duty Warzone developer Raven Software is making requests to Activision.
cal-of-duty-warzone-Raven-Activision
There are disagreements between Activision and Raven employees.

The QA testers at Raven Software, a studio owned by Activision, announced they have formed a union. The established alliance was called the Game Workers Alliance (GWA), and 80% of Raven’s QA division became members of this union. GWA seeks recognition from Activision Blizzard.

The Raven QA team founded GWA with the support of Communication Workers of America, a union with more than 700,000 members. The new union demands more transparency, better wages, and more sustainable working conditions. According to Raven, this will be one of the leading union movements in the AAA game industry and the first union within Activision.

Raven’s QA leader Brent Reel said in a statement on the subject:

“We formed the Game Workers Alliance (CWA) because my colleagues and I want to have our voices heard, and we want to see changes that reflect the wants and needs of both the gaming community and the workers who create these incredible products. It’s extremely important that workers have a real seat at the table to positively shape the company going forward.”

Raven employees were on strike

Activision has laid off multiple Raven Software QA employees in the past months. Reportedly, Activision promised more affordable wages to its QA employees. After this promise, some QA employees were placed in new positions, while others were laid off. Raven employees, who were disturbed by this issue, first made protest marches and went on strike until January. However, Activision did not rehire 12 QA testers.

Erin Hall, Raven QA functional tester, said in a statement on the subject:

“Our union will help inform what is best for Activision Blizzard as a company, as a platform for gamers, and a workplace where all workers can thrive. The goal of the Game Workers Alliance (CWA) is to represent what we as workers in the industry want as well as set a new standard for workers across the industry moving forward.”

Microsoft acquired Activision Blizzard this month for $68.7 billion. Raven, a part of Activision, was primarily working on Call of Duty games. The most significant product of Raven Software was the famous Battle Royale game Call of Duty Warzone.

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