At the Game Developers Conference (GDC) 2025, the formation of a brand new, industry-wide union for video game workers has officially been revealed. As announced, the United Videogame Workers union has formed with the tenured Communications Workers of America (CWA), with a view to build community and protect the rights of game workers across the United States and Canada.
The newly-formed union is “direct-join” which essentially means it’s not tied to any one company or voting. Anyone in the United States or Canada that works in video games – in any discipline, in any workplace or industry-adjacent setting – is able to join the union, and thereby gain the benefits of an organised force.
Per the UVW-CWA, its mission is a big one: it aims to protect video game workers after years of mistreatment. “Our mission is to take back our lives, our labour, and our passion from those who treat us like replaceable cogs; to empower our fellow workers; to link up arms with the laid off, with the freelancer, with the disillusioned contractor, with the disenfranchised and the marginalised, with the workers labouring invisibly to keep this industry afloat,” the union said in a press release.
“We are going to create a game industry that works for us, one that nourishes its talent and invests in its future, rather than constantly seeking short-term profits. We are the ones that make the games, so we must be the ones that set the terms of how we work.”
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As noted, the “cumulative effort by the thousands of video game workers” inspired the formation of this union, at a time when it feels most needed. In the last few years, those working in the games industry have been faced with a range of layoffs in the face of company mismanagement, as well as mistreatment and exploitation – whether by crunch or other means. With the rise of AI, there has also been plenty of discussions about job security, and the value of worker creativity.
The UVW-CWA wants to help workers “build power” in the industry, by providing them a safety and support network by which to negotiate. While there have been attempts like this in the past, so far, these have largely been isolated to individual businesses. The UVW-CWA wants to hold the entire industry to account, to form a group that is business-agnostic, and able to fight for workers on a larger scale.
“Our union allows video game workers to present a unified front when dealing with studios and publishers,” the UVW-CWA said. “We are going to create an industry that works for us, one that nourishes its talent and invests in its future, rather than constantly seeking short-term profits. Individually we beg, united we win!”
Those keen to learn more about the union and how it may benefit their workplace rights, can now visit the UVW-CWA website for more.
