Game Developers Rally for Union Recognition at GDC 2025
Union advocates and game developers participated in a demonstration at the 2025 Game Developers Conference on Wednesday. They assembled in a neighboring park to hold a rally endorsing the recently unveiled United Videogame Workers union.
Attendees chanted slogans such as, “We’re not playing anymore,” and “We demand a living wage,” expressing their collective demands.
United Videogame Workers Joins Communication Workers of America
This newly formed union is affiliated with the Communication Workers of America (CWA). The CWA has been increasingly active in recent years in organizing game industry professionals at major companies including Activision Blizzard and ZeniMax.
Union Aims to Address Industry Issues
Melanie Barron, senior campaign lead for CODE-CWA, stated at the rally that the United Videogame Workers union signifies “taking action and organizing change within the industry.”
Barron highlighted key concerns driving unionization efforts: “Numerous individuals are reaching out to us after experiencing significant and damaging layoffs. The industry faces issues such as excessive workloads and crunch periods, alongside instances of discrimination and unjust treatment. Workers deserve representation and effective channels for recourse.”
Campaigning for Industry Transformation
Barron further emphasized the union’s strategy: “Our approach involves building robust public campaigns to engage as many workers as possible in this movement. Collectively, we aim to transform the industry to one that respects the considerable talent, expertise, and dedication required to produce this art form.”
A demonstrator succinctly captured the sentiment of the movement, stating, “We make these games, not fucking AI, and not the fucking executives.”
For comprehensive details regarding the establishment of the United Videogame Workers, please refer to our previous report.