Today, Raven Software’s quality assurance department — which mostly works on “Call of Duty” as part of Activision Blizzard — became the first union to form at a major U.S. gaming company. With help from the Communications Workers of America (CWA), Raven Software testers launched the Game Workers Alliance, which plans to focus on “improving the conditions of workers in the video game industry by making it a more sustainable, equitable place where transparency is paramount,” even beyond its own company. The 34-worker unit is asking management to recognize their union during a time already marked by change: on Tuesday, Microsoft acquired Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion in one of the priciest tech acquisitions of all time.
But on the heels of that historic acquisition, Activision Blizzard has been embroiled in controversy amid ongoing SEC investigations and sexual harassment scandals. …
