ZeniMax QA Union Secures Tentative Contract with Microsoft After Two-Year Effort

Today, more than 300 unionized quality assurance workers at ZeniMax Media, contributing to titles from The Elder Scrolls to Doom, announced a tentative agreement with Microsoft, their parent company, marking their first contract since unionizing two years ago.

ZeniMax Workers United, affiliated with the Communications Workers of America (CWA), stated the deal includes "significant wage hikes across the board," guaranteed minimum salaries, safeguards against unjust termination, formalized grievance processes, protections regarding artificial intelligence use that could affect workers, and a policy ensuring proper crediting for QA contributions in games.

ZeniMax Media, which owns Bethesda Softworks and studios like Bethesda Game Studios (The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, Starfield), id Software (Doom, Quake, Rage), Arkane (Dishonored, Prey, Redfall), MachineGames (Wolfenstein, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle), and ZeniMax Online Studios (The Elder Scrolls Online), was acquired by Microsoft for $8.1 billion in March 2021 and operates within Microsoft Gaming.

“Video games have dominated entertainment industry revenue for years, yet the workers behind these titles are often undervalued for their passion and skill,” said Jessee Leese, a bargaining committee member.

“Forming unions, negotiating contracts, and uniting for a collective voice have empowered us to reclaim the autonomy we deserve. This first contract signals to video game professionals worldwide to act. We create these games, and we’ll establish new benchmarks for fair treatment.”

ZeniMax QA workers unionized in January 2023, following Raven Software and Blizzard Albany, after Microsoft pledged labor neutrality. The path to a contract faced hurdles, including a one-day strike last November over stalled talks on remote work protections and claims Microsoft outsourced QA tasks without union consultation. In April, workers overwhelmingly backed strike authorization, raising concerns over remote work and inadequate pay.

The tentative agreement awaits ratification by union members, with voting expected to conclude by June 20.