United Videogame Workers-CWA Takes Center Stage at 2025 Game Developer Conference

In a significant stride toward transforming the video game industry, over forty worker-organizers and staff members from the Communication Workers of America (CWA) participated in the 2025 Game Developer Conference (GDC) in San Francisco. This event marked the debut of United Videogame Workers-CWA (UVW-CWA), an all-encompassing union designed to unite professionals across the gaming sector. The initiative aims to address key concerns affecting workers, including job security and fair labor practices. At the conference, UVW-CWA not only introduced its mission but also engaged with fellow industry professionals, fostering discussions about the future of organized labor within the field.

During the week-long GDC, CWA representatives held panels that drew attention to crucial labor issues. On Wednesday, a panel discussion titled “Video Game Labor at a Crossroads: New Pathways to Industry-Wide Organizing” saw the official announcement of UVW-CWA. Following this launch, attendees joined a rally advocating for increased empowerment of game developers. Further engagement included a launch party where organizing committee members outlined their goals and addressed challenges such as mass layoffs. By the end of the event, more than 390 dues-paying members had joined the union.

The momentum continued into Friday, when CODE-CWA Senior Campaign Lead Emma Kinema facilitated a roundtable discussion. Participants shared insights on successful organizing strategies and negotiation victories achieved at some of the largest studios in the industry. Coinciding with these developments, Activision user research employees voted overwhelmingly in favor of union representation, aligning themselves with over 2,000 Microsoft studio workers under the company’s neutrality agreement with CWA.

As Nicolaas VanMeerten, a member of the organizing committee and quantitative user researcher, noted, the formation of UVW-CWA represents a pivotal moment in the industry. It reflects a collective effort by workers to foster solidarity and advocate for equitable treatment in the workplace. Their actions underscore the importance of uniting against layoffs and ensuring mutual support through unionization.

With the establishment of UVW-CWA and the growing number of workers opting for union representation, the video game industry is witnessing a shift towards greater labor rights and collaboration. This movement signifies a promising era where workers collectively strive for better conditions and stronger voices in shaping the future of their field.