Microsoft throws the ball in Activision Blizzard’s court

Microsoft has revealed that it will recognise the Game Workers Alliance – Raven Software‘s union – if Activision Blizzard does so.

This comes after 15 Raven Software employees reached out to the CEO of Microsoft, Satya Nadella via a letter – a copy of which will be run in the Seattle Times on Sunday – according to a report by Axios.

Back in January 2022, Raven Software Quality Assurance (QA) employees voted to unionise, following a two-month strike after Activision laid off a third of the QA team at the studio in early December 2021.

Soon after the unionisation vote, Activision Blizzard announced structural changes among Raven staff potentially jeopardising their efforts as a collective and did not recognise the Game Workers Alliance.

The letter by the Raven staff addressed to Microsft asked where the company stood on the matter of Activision having to seek Microsoft’s approval to recognise the union as part of the merger between the two companies.

The response from a Microsoft rep speaking exclusively to Axios stated that “Microsoft will not stand in the way if Activision Blizzard recognises a union.”

“Microsoft respects Activision Blizzard employees’ right to choose whether to be represented by a labour organisation and we will honour those decisions.”