Microsoft Corp.'s (NASDAQ:MSFT) Bethesda Game Studios (BGS) Montreal is the latest studio in the video game industry to announce its intention to form a union.
The One BGS MTL union revealed on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) that it has filed for certification with the Quebec Labour Board, aiming to unionize under the Communications Workers of America (CWA) Canada, IGN reported.
A New Chapter for BGS Montreal
"As a union, we will strive to make BGS a supportive workplace that fosters creativity and talent," the One BGS MTL union posted. This will allow us to keep creating some of the best video games in the industry, both in the jobs and at the studio we all love."
We, the developers of Bethesda Game Studios Montreal, are proud to announce that, today, we celebrate filing for certification with the Quebec Labour Board with the intention of unionizing with @cwacanada1 and joining the broader @CWAunion family.
— One BGS MTL (@OneBGS_MTL) June 26, 2024
BGS Montreal was established in late 2015, with Yves Lachance at the helm. Lachance, previously associated with Behaviour Interactive—a Montreal-based studio known for the popular game Dead by Daylight—brought valuable experience to BGS.
The Montreal studio has since taken over development of Fallout Shelter from Behaviour Interactive, showcasing its capability within Bethesda's broader portfolio.
Gaming Unionization Trends
The move by BGS Montreal is part of a broader trend of unionization within the video game industry, which has historically been resistant to such movements.
In late 2022, approximately 300 quality assurance workers at ZeniMax, Bethesda's parent company, formed a union with the CWA.
This growing unionization wave also includes Activision Quality Assurance United, the Allied Employees Guild Improving Sega (AEGIS), and Avalanche Studios, the developer behind the Just Cause franchise, which signed a collective bargaining agreement with its unionized workers in April 2023.
Context Of Industry Challenges
This surge in unionization efforts comes against a backdrop of significant challenges in the video game industry. Mass layoffs have marked the landscape, with over 6,000 jobs affected in the first two months of 2024 alone.
Microsoft, the parent company of Bethesda Game Studios, recently announced the closure of three Bethesda Softworks studios, including Arkane Austin, the developer behind Redfall and Prey, and Tango Gameworks, known for Hi-Fi Rush and The Evil Within.
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