id Software Developers Form Wall to Wall Union with CWA as 165 Staff Vote in Favor

Another major Microsoft owned studio has officially joined the growing labor movement within the video game industry. DOOM developer id Software has confirmed that one hundred sixty five developers at the Texas based studio have voted in favor of forming a wall to wall union with the Communications Workers of America. The decision follows Microsoft’s previously signed labor neutrality agreement with the CWA, an agreement originally established during the company’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard.

The announcement was made through an official CWA press release, outlining the motivations behind the unionization effort. Developers cited concerns around long term job stability, remote work protections, and the responsible use of artificial intelligence in game development pipelines. In an interview with Aftermath, lead services programmer at id Software and union member Chris Hays emphasized that remote work is a necessity rather than a benefit, particularly for accessibility, family needs, and overall employee well being.

According to statements shared in the press release, union members expressed concern over unilateral workplace changes imposed by executives without adequate developer input. id Software producer and union organizer Andrew Willis stated that the wall to wall structure was essential to ensure that all roles across the studio have representation, reinforcing that the union provides a mechanism for developers to reclaim agency over their working conditions and the future of the industry they help sustain.

The move places id Software alongside other Microsoft affiliated studios that have recently unionized. In August, four hundred fifty developers working on the Diablo franchise at Blizzard voted to form a union with the CWA. Earlier, in May twenty twenty five, ZeniMax Workers United QA reached a tentative agreement with Microsoft to ratify their first union contract after nearly two years of negotiations.

Chris Hays further noted that return to office mandates often fail to consider accessibility and health needs, arguing that union representation offers developers a formal voice in decisions that directly impact their lives. He emphasized that without collective bargaining, policies are too frequently dictated without meaningful consultation or transparency.

With the vote now complete, id Software developers will begin the process of negotiating their first contract, followed by a ratification vote. Recent history suggests that this phase may be lengthy. ZeniMax Workers United QA required two years and a strike to secure its agreement, highlighting the challenges that still face unions operating under large corporate publishers. Despite these hurdles, the successful union vote at id Software is widely viewed as a critical milestone.

Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard has reshaped the industry across multiple dimensions, but one of its most lasting impacts may be the acceleration of organized labor within game development. By enabling a neutrality framework, the acquisition has inadvertently provided fertile ground for union efforts to gain traction at scale.

Senior VFX artist and organizing member Caroline Pierrot echoed this sentiment, stating that unionization offers workers a real opportunity to influence an industry that has become increasingly unstable. She emphasized that broader union adoption strengthens collective power and gives developers a meaningful chance to shape a more sustainable and equitable future for game creation.

Do you believe unionization will become standard across major game studios, or will resistance from publishers slow this momentum?