Blizzard QA workers ratify union contract with Microsoft, marking a third such agreement at the company
February 2, 2026
A solid majority of quality assurance staff at Blizzard Entertainment locations in Albany, New York, and Austin, Texas—represented by CWA Locals 1118 and 6215—have approved a new union contract with Microsoft. The deal, which secures protections for more than 60 QA workers, is the third to be ratified at the company after agreements with ZeniMax and Raven Software last year.
Bargaining history and scope
- Negotiations for Albany began in May 2023, with the two bargaining units later merged to form a single negotiating team and a shared set of priorities.
- The contract covers QA professionals across both sites, uniting Albany and Austin workers under one framework.
Key terms of the three-year agreement
- Guaranteed wage increases throughout the contract term.
- Strong safeguards governing the use of artificial intelligence and generative AI, ensuring AI assists rather than replaces or harms workers.
- Protections for fair crediting and proper name recognition on shipped games.
- Reasonable disability accommodations without discrimination or retaliation.
- Protections for immigrant workers, including fair discipline practices and preserved seniority during verification.
- Restrictions on mandatory crunch periods and excessive overtime, with measures to prevent burnout.
Statements from union leadership and members
- Brock Davis, a Blizzard Albany quality analyst and CWA Local 1118 member, emphasized that the contract delivers wages that workers can live on, stronger job security, and guardrails around AI use, all while layoffs loom in the industry.
- Matt Gant, a senior QA analyst with Blizzard Austin and CWA Local 6215, welcomed the agreement as a step toward a stable, long-term career path with improved pay, benefits, and recall rights in the event of layoffs.
- Ron Swaggerty, president of CWA Local 6215, highlighted the importance of uniting the Austin and Albany units to press for meaningful improvements for all QA staff, reinforcing the impact of collective bargaining.
- John Van Denburgh III, president of CWA Local 1118, noted that close collaboration with Austin colleagues helped translate shared priorities into a contract that meets the needs of QA workers in both locations.
Context and about CODE-CWA
- The Campaign to Organize Digital Employees (CODE-CWA) is a network of worker-organizers and staff working to empower workers in the tech, gaming, and digital sectors across the United States and Canada. CODE-CWA operates as a project under the Communications Workers of America, which represents hundreds of thousands of workers in tech, media, telecom, and related industries.
For more information, CODE-CWA is associated with cwa-union.org and @cwaunion.