Microsoft-Owned id Software Workers Vote to Unionize With CWA

A majority of workers at Microsoft-owned id Software have voted to unionize with the Communications Workers of America (CWA) by signing union authorization cards through an online portal. The 165 workers will join CWA Local 6215 in Richardson, Texas, and Microsoft has formally recognized the union in line with its stated labor principles.

The newly recognized bargaining unit includes developers, artists, programmers, and other roles, creating a wall-to-wall union at id Software. The move builds on earlier organizing at the studio, where quality assurance workers became the first Microsoft employees to secure union representation with CWA Local 6215 in 2023.

“The wall-to-wall organizing effort at id Software was much needed,” said Andrew Willis, an id Software producer and member of the organizing committee. Willis described the union as a way for developers to push back against unilateral workplace changes and regain influence over how the industry operates.

What’s Driving Video Game Labor Organizing at Microsoft and id Software

id Software, a Texas-based studio best known for the Doom and Quake franchises, joins a rapidly growing wave of video game labor organizing in 2025. The surge has been driven by widespread layoffs, recurring crunch cycles, and concerns over compensation and long-term job security across the industry.

Workers also pointed to workplace policies such as return-to-office mandates as a key motivation. Chris Hays, id Software’s lead services programmer, said “remote work isn’t a perk,” but a necessity for health, family, and accessibility needs, adding that unionization gives employees a collective voice in decisions that directly affect their daily lives.

According to CWA, nearly 1,600 video game workers have unionized this year through its Campaign to Organize Digital Employees (CODE-CWA). With the id Software vote, the total number of union-represented workers at Microsoft now exceeds 3,600, making the company one of the largest unionized employers in the game industry.

CWA Local 6215 President, Ron Swaggerty, said Texas has become an increasingly important center for collective action among video game and tech workers, adding that the union looks forward to negotiating a contract with Microsoft that reflects “the skill, creativity, and dedication these workers bring to every project.”