First-party Xbox studio Double Fine is unionizing

First-party Xbox Game Studios developer Double Fine, the team behind the long-running Psychonauts series, has filed a petition to unionize under the Communications Workers of America (CWA). If recognized by parent company Microsoft and if a contract is ultimately ratified, the union will include all regular part-time and full-time employees of Double Fine, totaling 42 workers.

In a statement to Aftermath, the CWA says Double Fine has entered the process of unionizing in order "to preserve and extend the studio's commitments to creative excellence, diversity and inclusion, and worker quality of life." The statement says Double Fine leadership is "requesting voluntary recognition from the company" and that "workers have also filed an election petition with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to secure union representation," adding, "We appreciate that Microsoft has taken a neutral approach and agreed not to interfere in any way with worker’s rights to organize unions."

As workers unions become increasingly popular in the games industry following years of layoffs and AI concerns, the CWA has organized thousands of Xbox Game Studios employees, including teams behind tentpole franchises like Diablo, Overwatch, and The Elder Scrolls. Union contracts can't outright deny companies like Microsoft the right to lay off workers, but they can help protect employees from poor working conditions and AI outsourcing, outline how layoffs are to be communicated to impacted employees, and ensure adequate severance pay. As the workers at Double Fine are still in the early process of being recognized, it's not clear what demands they have, but it's likely that some or all of the above will be included in the bargaining phase.