Topic: unionization efforts
-
Bethesda HR Removed Small Memorial for Laid-Off Staff
Xbox conducted widespread layoffs across its divisions this week, heavily impacting Bethesda teams, with further cuts expected over the next year. Bethesda Game Studios employees in Maryland created a memorial for laid-off coworkers, but HR reportedly ordered its immediate removal, citing the com...
Read More » -
Prolific Wikipedia editors threaten mass strike
The Wikimedia Foundation dissolved its Community Tech team of five engineers, sparking backlash from volunteer editors who relied on them for tools like plagiarism detectors and dark mode. Volunteers suspect the layoffs were union-busting, as Wikimedia staff had recently announced plans to unioni...
Read More » -
Meta Engineer’s Viral Post Protests Laptop Surveillance
Meta is facing internal backlash over its mandatory laptop surveillance software, which records employee screen activity including mouse movements and clicks to train AI systems, with a senior engineer's protest post reaching nearly 20,000 colleagues. An internal petition demanding an end to the ...
Read More » -
Google DeepMind Staff Votes to Unionize Over Military AI Contracts
Google DeepMind employees in London have voted to unionize, seeking formal recognition of the Communication Workers Union and Unite the Union to enforce ethical boundaries on AI, driven by concerns over the company’s growing involvement in military AI contracts with the US and Israeli defense sec...
Read More » -
Meta Cafeteria Workers Beat ICE in Contract Fight
In June 2025, cafeteria workers at a Meta office pledged mutual support against immigration raids, a promise tested when a worker's brother, an asylum seeker, was detained by ICE later that year. The detained man was released in February 2026 after his colleagues and tech workers from companies l...
Read More » -
Is the Game Developer Unionization Movement in Danger?
The video game industry's unionization momentum faces a critical test in 2026, with high-profile cases in the UK and Canada threatening to chill organizing efforts through studio closures and alleged retaliatory dismissals. Current organizing is often reactive and fragmented, with unions forming ...
Read More » -
Top Gaming Industry News Stories of 2025: Year in Review
Sony scaled back its live-service ambitions after the failure of *Concord*, canceling projects and signaling a shift away from the industry's pursuit of live-service dominance. Microsoft successfully expanded its multiplatform strategy, bringing major titles like *Indiana Jones* and *Halo* to PS5...
Read More » -
Leadership Fails in Larian CEO's AI Backlash
The backlash against Larian Studios' CEO over AI comments highlights a broader industry crisis, focusing on a disconnect between leadership and developers who feel pressured to adopt tools amid job insecurity and demanding hiring practices. The core issue involves power dynamics, as developers fa...
Read More » -
Google AI Staff Fired in Working Conditions Dispute
Over 200 contractors refining Google's AI systems were abruptly terminated without notice due to a pay and working conditions dispute, despite their critical role in enhancing products like the Gemini chatbot. These specialists, employed through outsourcing firm GlobalLogic, were tasked with impr...
Read More » -
Raven Software Workers Win Union Contract After 3-Year Fight
Raven Software employees secured their first union contract with Microsoft after a three-year battle, achieving a 10% wage increase, merit-based raises, and clearer promotion pathways. The contract eliminates excessive crunch by mandating seven days' notice for overtime, limiting extended hours, ...
Read More »