Developers at DOOM studio id Software vote to unionise with CWA

Developers at id Software, the Microsoft-owned studio behind Doom and Quake, have voted to unionize with the Communications Workers of America (CWA), becoming the latest group of workers within Xbox Game Studios to organize.

The details:

• As announced by the CWA, the union was formed through a successful vote among eligible staff, with 165 employees voting for its creation. Staff at the developer will now be represented by the CWA in negotiations with management on issues such as pay, job security, workloads, and career progression.
• The group includes QA workers, but also those in several more development roles. This is a major improvement on other video game unions, which typically focus on testing departments due to low rates of pay and overall job instability.
• Microsoft, which has previously signed a labor neutrality agreement with the CWA, is expected to recognize the id Software union without resistance, in line with its handling of earlier union efforts at other studios under ZeniMax and fellow Microsoft-owned developer and publisher Activision Blizzard. However, there is still a chance that it could push back against the group should it wish.