By: Kevin Vu

No doubt, 2023 has been a “blockbuster year for video games.” From the Game Awards breaking viewership records, the long-anticipated Baldur’s Gate 3 winning several awards, including the “Game of the Year,” and the redemption of Cyberpunk 2077, it’s evident that 2023 will be celebrated for its many great releases. But, one little-told story of gaming in 2023 is the massive amount of layoffs that have emerged among many developers. Perhaps layoffs were inevitable, given the enormous costs that the top video games incur, and how some notable games only generated half as much revenue as they had anticipated.  

But there may be an even more fundamental reason for this rollercoaster of a year in gaming. Tech, the umbrella industry for gaming, has historically been resistant to unionization. As layoffs continue in the tech industry, the call to unionization has grown louder and louder. With the gaming industry celebrating one of its most consequential years, it’s time to ask whether unionization would ultimately benefit the industry.

Reasons to Unionize

Traditional reasons for unionization often include higher wages, creating a safer workplace, job stabilization, and collective bargaining. Traditionally, both tech developers and game developers have made six-figure salaries, eliminating the high wage factor. However, the remaining factors seem to point out that the gaming industry should unionize. Riot Games, Activision-Blizzard, and other companies within the video game space are notorious for workplace harassment. Having a union can help advocate for those workers, lead to greater enforcement of workplace harassment and discrimination laws, and ultimately, help create and facilitate a culture where workplace harassment is no longer the norm. And, with gaming companies being notorious for their long hours (dubbed as “crunch” times), negotiating for better conditions through unions seems obvious. But perhaps the most obvious reason would be the widespread layoffs that happened in 2023, as unions can help secure better severance pay as employees transition to other endeavors.  

Reasons Not to Unionize

However, various reasons have emerged against unionization in gaming, including the rapid development of technology, blurred lines between management and workers, and stifling the creative process. Ultimately though, many of those reasons seem strained. One of the popular emerging technologies, virtual reality, has a lot of its roots in video game development. That technology has now had various successes in helping doctors, patients, incarcerated individuals, and many others. Now, the rapid development of technology seems to threaten game developers. Companies are beginning to use generative AI for their video games, whether it is voice acting, or promotional art. Indeed, some developers are now promising to use artificial intelligence to develop games, too. Using the advancement of technology as a reason to stymie the workers who helped create that technology seems backhanded at best.  

On an even more fundamental level, shifting over to generative technology to develop video games seems to be counterintuitive, given that video games are a creative product. What creativity exists with AI? This year in games should be telling companies that developers are needed and should be treasured. Baldur’s Gate 3, 2023’s Game of the Year, spent nearly three years in early access, where developers continued to work on the game as the public played the game before its official release. Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, a runner-up for that same award, was finished for nearly a year, with one year being spent on polishing the game. Cyberpunk 2077, a game with a tumultuous start, won 2023’s Best Ongoing Game Award because the developers ultimately believed in their product. In an industry where some of the biggest games are passion projects made by small teams, trying to justify anti-unionization sentiment by citing creativity, but in turn, using technology that stifles such creativity is disingenuous.  

What Now?

It seems evident that video game developers should seriously consider unionization. Despite a big year in gaming releases, the industry is still threatened by layoffs, and crunch work conditions persist. Video game unionization is not a new thing either. The first multi-department video game union emerged in 2023, which included developers. Quality assurance workers, individuals who help test games to a more polished product, have also begun unionizing. Other creatives in the video game space, like voice actors, have taken collective action as well. Unions have been effective in these creative spaces, and in addressing technology. For example, the Writers Guild of America’s strike ended in favorable terms for screenwriters, including limiting the use of AI. Ultimately, video game developers should look at their industry and ask whether the current climate is sustainable.