adminDouble Fine unionization has entered a formal stage after the Psychonauts developer filed a petition with support from the Communications Workers of America (CWA). The proposed bargaining unit includes 42 full-time and part-time employees, and the petition asks Microsoft to voluntarily recognize the union.
Image credit: Double Fine Productions
What the Double Fine unionization petition requests
The petition was filed with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) on May 7. It seeks voluntary recognition from Microsoft for the proposed group of workers. The filing does not, by itself, confirm that recognition has been granted or that a contract has been negotiated.
The CWA said employees chose to organise to protect and strengthen the studio’s commitments to creative excellence, diversity and inclusion, and quality of life for workers. It also said Microsoft had taken a neutral position and agreed not to interfere with employees’ right to organise.
For employees following the process, the key distinction is between a union petition, recognition and a first contract: these are separate stages. The petition identifies the workers seeking representation, while contract negotiations address employment terms after a union is established.
Microsoft’s labor neutrality agreement
Microsoft and the CWA reached a labor neutrality agreement in 2022, following the pending acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Under the arrangement, developers seeking to unionise could do so without using the NLRB process. The agreement expired in October 2025.
Juniper Dowell, a senior quality assurance tester and union steward at ZeniMax Bethesda, said workers hoped to negotiate a new neutrality agreement to keep the process streamlined. The Double Fine petition, however, was filed with the NLRB.
Other unionised Microsoft studios
Several Microsoft subsidiaries and teams have unionised since 2022. Raven Software became the first major video game union in the United States. Other organised groups include:
- Activision Quality Assurance United-CWA
- OneBGS at Bethesda Game Studios
- World of Warcraft Game Makers Guild
- Quality assurance teams at Blizzard in Albany and Austin
- Activision User Research Union-CWA
- Overwatch Gamemakers Guild-CWA
- Diablo developers
Last April, the CWA said negotiations at Microsoft had stalled. Autumn Mitchell, a ZeniMax Workers United member and senior quality assurance tester, said workers remained frustrated and would continue seeking a first contract, including by considering withholding their labor.
Background on Double Fine Productions
Microsoft acquired Double Fine in 2019 for $13.2 million. The studio was founded in 2000 by industry veteran Tim Schafer after he left LucasArts. Its union petition adds the studio to a broader series of organising efforts across Microsoft’s game development businesses.
What to watch next
The next developments to follow are whether Microsoft grants voluntary recognition and how the proposed bargaining unit’s representation process proceeds. No outcome or contract is confirmed in the information available here. For readers tracking Double Fine unionization, updates on recognition and negotiations will clarify how the petition affects employees at the studio.
