Today, over 300 unionized high quality assurance staff at ZeniMax Media, who work on the whole lot from The Elder Scrolls to Doom, have introduced they’ve reached a tentative deal with father or mother firm Microsoft on their first contract since forming their union two years in the past.
ZeniMax Workers United, which is unionized underneath Communications Workers of America (CWA), stated the settlement contains "substantial across-the-board wage increases," minimal salaries, protections towards arbitrary dismissal, grievance procedures, protections round use of artificial intelligence that would affect staff, and a crediting coverage to make sure QA staff are appropriately credited in video games they work on.
ZeniMax Media owns writer Bethesda Softworks and growth studios 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 underneath the 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 take back the autonomy we all deserve. Our first contract is an invitation for 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 staff first unionized in January of 2023, following teams at Raven Software and Blizzard Albany, after Microsoft made a public commitment to labor neutrality. However, the highway to a contract has been difficult. In November of final yr, workers went on a one-day strike, citing a lack of progress on the bargaining desk over distant work protections and allegations that Microsoft was outsourcing QA work with out bargaining with the union. Then, in April, workers voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike, again citing considerations over distant work and low compensation.
The tentative contract is contingent on ratification by the union members in a vote which is anticipated to be concluded by June 20.
Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. You can discover her posting on BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Got a story tip? Send it to [email protected].