Diablo developers at Blizzard have voted to unionize with the Communications Workers of America (CWA), marking another instance of unionization within Activision Blizzard and Microsoft’s gaming division.
The union comprises over 450 employees, including game developers, artists, designers, engineers, and support staff working on the Diablo franchise. Microsoft, the parent company, has formally recognized the Diablo developers’ union. This follows a broader trend of unionization within Microsoft’s gaming workforce in recent years.
Kelly Yeo, a game producer and member of the organizing committee, emphasized the desire for change and security driving the unionization effort. “With every subsequent round of mass layoffs, I’ve witnessed the dread in my coworkers grow stronger because it feels like no amount of hard work is enough to protect us,” Yeo stated. “I am overjoyed that we have formed a union—this is just the first step for us joining a movement spreading across an industry that is tired of living in fear. We are ready to begin fighting for real change alongside our Diablo colleagues.”
This move comes after Microsoft laid off approximately 9,100 employees earlier in 2025, impacting its gaming division at Activision Blizzard. The Diablo team joins the ranks of other Activision Blizzard and Xbox teams that have unionized, including the World of Warcraft team, which unionized in 2024, and the Overwatch developers, who unionized in May 2025.
Raven Software workers recently secured their first contract earlier in August 2025, and Zenimax QA workers obtained a contract in May 2025. Other organized groups include the Bethesda union and the story and franchise development team. To date, over 3,500 workers at Microsoft have organized with the CWA.
