Blizzard QA teams in Albany and Austin ratify a three-year union contract with Microsoft

Quality assurance workers at Blizzard in Albany, New York, and Austin, Texas have voted to ratify a union contract with Microsoft. According to the Communications Workers of America’s announcement, the agreement covers more than 60 QA employees across multiple roles and runs for three years.

Bargaining for the deal began in May 2023. The contract includes guaranteed wage increases over its term, plus rules around how AI and generative AI can be used at work. It also adds protections related to credits and name recognition on shipped games, disability accommodations, immigrant worker protections, and limits on mandatory crunch.

The CWA says this is Microsoft’s third union contract tied to its game business, following agreements ratified by ZeniMax workers last June and Raven Software’s QA team in August.

Union members quoted in the announcement pointed to pay, job security, and “guardrails” around AI as key wins, especially with layoffs continuing across the wider industry. The deal also includes layoff protections such as recall rights, according to the CWA’s summary.

Numerous teams at Blizzard have unionized over the years including the Hearthstone, World of Warcraft, and Diablo teams.