adminDevelopers working on Magic: The Gathering Arena have announced plans to form a union with the Communications Workers of America (CWA). The effort is a first for Hasbro-owned Wizards of the Coast, and workers say they want a stronger voice on job security, workplace policies and career development.
Image credit: Wizards of the Coast
Magic: The Gathering Arena unionization effort
A supermajority of the game’s developers have backed the unionization effort, according to the announcement. Senior software engineer Valentine Powell told Kotaku that the group expected to include around 100 members and described the level of support among eligible workers as unusually high.
The workers, who are organising as UWOTC-CWA members, asked management to recognise the union by the end of the week. They have also filed an election petition with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). The petition is part of the formal process for seeking union representation; the announcement does not mean that management has recognised the union or that an election result has been determined.
Why developers say they are organising
The organising effort began after two rounds of company-wide layoffs in 2023 that affected 2,000 employees across Hasbro. A further 3% of employees faced redundancies in 2025. Senior software engineer Neil White also said that return-to-office requirements accelerated the effort.
In a letter to management, workers set out several priorities they want addressed through collective representation:
- Protections against layoffs and clearer accountability.
- More predictable remote-work policies.
- Safeguards concerning the use of generative AI.
- An end to mandatory crunch periods.
- Greater transparency and equity, including clearly defined roles and career progression.
- Clarity around ownership of personal projects.
- A focus on partnerships and products that support the sustainable growth of games.
These requests span both employment conditions and the way creative work is managed. For employees following the process, the practical next steps are whether management recognises the union and how the NLRB petition proceeds.
Workers and CWA describe the significance
UWOTC-CWA member and senior software development engineer Damien Wilson said the group is seeking a say in layoffs, greater accountability across the organisation and wages that support workers’ ability to build a stable life. He also described unions as a counterweight to workplace decisions that prioritise investor returns over employees and their work.
CWA District 7 vice president Susie McAllister called the announcement an important moment for the games industry. She said workers involved in both digital games and tabletop experiences deserve job security, fair compensation and a voice in workplace decisions.
The outcome of the Magic: The Gathering Arena unionization effort will depend on the recognition and election process. Until those steps are resolved, the developers’ announcement represents their intention to organise and their stated priorities—not a completed change in union status.
