Unionized Xbox Workers to Fight Imminent Mass Layoffs With CWA Support
Quick Report
Over 3,500 unionized Xbox employees are preparing to fight back against planned mass layoffs at Microsoft's Xbox Gaming division, with support from the Communications Workers of America (CWA). Frank Arce, vice president of CWA District 9, declared that workers "will not be treated as disposable," with developers and former developers from ZeniMax Online, Activision Blizzard, and Arkane Austin sharing their experiences and hardships in the gaming industry.
The union is seeking protections including advanced notice of layoffs, hiring freezes to allow former employees internal transfer opportunities, and strong severance packages where layoffs are necessary. Members emphasized that Xbox employees deserve long-term certainty about their positions, and that all alternative measures should be exhausted before resorting to mass terminations. The union will wait until Microsoft officially announces the Xbox layoffs before calling the company to the negotiations table, though internal discussions about studio closures have apparently already begun. CWA leadership also criticized the discrepancy between Microsoft's stated intentions and actions, such as lamenting AI-driven RAM price hikes while announcing console price increases and simultaneously investing heavily in AI.
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