Activision User Research Workers Overwhelmingly Vote to Form Union with CWA

Los Angeles, Calif. – On Friday, a supermajority of user research workers at Activision voted in favor of union representation with Communications Workers of America (CWA), either by signing a union authorization card or indicating that they wanted union representation via an online portal. The workers will be members of CWA Local 9400 in Los Angeles. Microsoft has recognized the union.

Activision User Research Union-CWA is the first group of video game user researchers to form a union, joining over 2,000 workers at Microsoft-owned studios to organize under the company’s neutrality agreement with CWA. With a union, user researchers are hoping to secure significant improvements at their workplace, including higher wages, job security and protections amid record-breaking layoffs in the video game industry, and transparency around promotions and career advancement.

“We are excited to join our fellow game makers across the video game industry to show what’s possible when workers can freely build solidarity in the workplace. Many of us were mobilized to do something about the layoffs in 2023 and 2024, and now we can look out for each other with a union,” said organizing committee member and quantitative user researcher Nicolaas VanMeerten.

In the video game industry, user research focuses on understanding players' opinions, behaviors, and needs to deliver insights to their development teams. By hosting players in their studios, user research helps bridge the gap between those who design video games and those who play them.

“A union allows workers to create an industry that works for them, which is vital in an industry that we deeply care about,” said organizing committee member and user research moderator Pat Dimaandal. “Workers should not feel punished for pursuing a career that they love, and that’s why we’re organizing toward long-term, sustainable careers in this industry.”

“It is critical that workers have a protected voice on the job to ensure they receive their fair share. We are proud to welcome these workers to CWA and are looking forward to meeting Microsoft at the bargaining table to secure a fair union contract," said Maurice Washington, President of CWA Local 9400.

The union’s certification comes just days after the successful launch of United Videogame Workers-CWA (UVW-CWA), an industry-wide video game union working to build worker power irrespective of employer or current job status. Over 350 dues-paying members have joined since the UVW-CWA launch at the 2025 Game Developer Conference.

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About CODE-CWA

The Campaign to Organize Digital Employees (CODE-CWA) is a network of worker-organizers and their staff working every single day to build the voice and power necessary to ensure the future of the tech, game, and digital industries in the United States and Canada. CODE-CWA is a project of the Communications Workers of America which represents hundreds of thousands of workers throughout tech, media, telecom, and other industries who stand together to fight for justice on the job and in our communities.

cwa-union.org @cwaunion