Unionised Blizzard staff ratify contract requiring bargaining on generative AI and 14-month recall rights

Unionised Blizzard employees have voted to ratify a new collective bargaining agreement with their employer.

The contract requires Blizzard to discuss, evaluate and bargain with workers over the use of generative AI tools in the workplace. It also gives employees who are laid off the right to be recalled into open positions across the company for 14 months after the layoff announcement.

The agreement covers about 1,900 staff, including teams working on World of Warcraft, Hearthstone, Warcraft Rumble, Overwatch and Diablo, as well as members of Blizzard’s quality assurance, Platform & Technology and Story and Franchise Development units.

Other provisions in the contract include wage increases, grievance procedures, a three-day in-office hybrid workweek, “just cause” protections, remote work and disability accommodations.

The Communications Workers of America, the umbrella union representing the workers, issued the statement describing the contract as reinforcing industry-wide workplace standards for video game employees in the United States.

The ratification comes amid broader unionisation efforts at Blizzard in recent years and ongoing workforce reductions in Microsoft’s gaming division; a round of cuts in July included 1,600 departures and proposals affecting another 1,600 positions.