Today, more than 300 unionized quality assurance workers at ZeniMax Media—working on titles ranging from The Elder Scrolls to Doom—have announced a tentative agreement with parent company Microsoft on their first contract since forming their union two years ago.
ZeniMax Workers United, organized under the Communications Workers of America (CWA), said the deal includes "substantial across-the-board wage increases," minimum salary floors, protections against arbitrary termination, formal grievance procedures, safeguards around the use of artificial intelligence that affects workers, and a credit policy to ensure QA staff are properly recognized in the games they help create.
ZeniMax Media owns publisher Bethesda Softworks and development studios including Bethesda Game Studios (The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, and Starfield), id Software (Doom, Quake, and Rage), Arkane (Dishonored, Prey, and Redfall), MachineGames (Wolfenstein, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle), and ZeniMax Online Studios (The Elder Scrolls Online). Microsoft acquired ZeniMax Media for $8.1 billion in March 2021 and operates it under its Microsoft Gaming division.
“Video games have been the revenue titan of the entire entertainment industry for years, and the workers who develop these games are too often exploited for their passion and creativity,” said Jessee Leese, a member of the bargaining committee.“Organizing unions, bargaining for a contract, and speaking with one collective voice has allowed workers to reclaim the autonomy we all deserve. Our first contract is an invitation to video game professionals everywhere to take action. We’re the ones who make these games, and we’ll be the ones to set new standards for fair treatment.”
ZeniMax QA workers first unionized in January 2023, following similar efforts at Raven Software and Blizzard Albany, after Microsoft publicly committed to labor neutrality. However, the path to a contract has been difficult. In November of last year, workers staged a one-day strike, citing stalled negotiations over remote work protections and allegations that Microsoft was outsourcing QA work without consulting the union. Then, in April, workers voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike, again citing concerns over remote work and inadequate pay.
The tentative contract is subject to ratification by union members in a vote expected to conclude by June 20.
