A new video game developer union has been publically revealed at GDC 2025, as the gaming industry continues to suffer from ruthless waves of layoffs that have seen workforces ravaged in recent years, leaving a lot of fledgling talent and industry veterans struggling to find stable work.
Named United Video game Workers union (or UVW), and created in collaboration with the Communications Workers of America (CWA) union, the collective aims to fight for workers rights, and is currently gathering signatures for a petition “demanding dignity and job security for all video game workers, particularly those facing layoffs.” according to the official CWA union website.
In a introductory post on the CWA union website, you can find several statements from high-ranking members of both the UVW and the CWA. Tom Smith, CWA’s senior director of organizing, wrote the following: “The creation of this union was not done in isolation; it’s a cumulative effort by the thousands of video game workers who have been fighting for years to redefine what it means to stand together and reclaim power in one of the largest and highest-grossing industries on the globe […] These workers are taking a bold stand, joining together to build power for the workers behind the games we all know and love.”
Claude Cummings Jr, president of the CWA, followed up with, “The formation of United Video Game Workers-CWA is an exciting next step in our union’s work to help video game workers build power in their industry. […] As video game studios have consolidated, the workers whose creativity, dedication, and skill bring the games to life have become more an afterthought. They are subject to endless cycles of layoffs and rehiring as corporate executives pursue short-term profits at the expense of a sustainable future.”
The post also highlights the fact that this is not the first time workers in the video game space have taken a stand, as it acknowledges the work of Game Workers Unite which was launched in 2018, also at GDC. It also pays hommage to CODE-CWA back in 2020, which pushed many in the tech sector to unionize. Already, the UVW has announced that over 100 employees have signed up. This might not sound like a lot, but considering the union was announced not even 24 hours ago, it’s not too shabby at all as far as initial performances go.
The formation of the UVW comes while SAG-AFTRA continues the fight against various video game companies on behalf of voice actors and mocap artists in the USA. That union continues to picket and push against AI use without the consent of performers, as well as for wages to keep up with the rising cost of living. It’s an age of real mobilisation in the video game industry, at a time when the disregarding of development talent has become all too common.
Let us know what you think below! Will this turn the tide toward better treatment of developers? Let us know below!