•Quality assurance testers at Activision have voted to authorise a strike if working conditions do not improve, according to a report by Kotaku. The union, known as Activision Quality Assurance United-CWA, was formed in March 2024 and comprises nearly 600 QA workers.
In a press release shared with Kotaku, bargaining committee member and QA functional tester Emily Danko said: “Bargaining has been a long, exhausting process spanning over two years, with our committee making responsible moves while the company continues to stall on critical issues like wages, accommodations, and worker protections.
Despite our efforts to bargain in good faith, meaningful progress has been difficult, leaving key issues unresolved. Our members remain united and continue to mobilize, but we are exploring every option available to secure the fair contract we deserve.
Emily Danko, Activision Quality Assurance United-CWA
Danko noted that some of the protections being sought include concerns over AI usage and contract workers.
An Activision spokesperson told Kotaku: “Activision has been working in good faith with the CWA for the Central QA team and we have made meaningful progress on a number of issues. Our goal is a fair first contract that supports our QA team members and the long-term success of the business.
We remain committed to open dialogue with the union and have offered to meet again on October 21 and 22. We respect our employees’ right to engage in protected activity, including the right to strike.
Activision spokesperson
The vote comes a week ahead of the launch of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, the latest entry in the rebooted Modern Warfare series. The franchise remains part of an ongoing BDS-called boycott against Microsoft over its dealings with the Israeli military.
Another tester told Kotaku that staff are working every day to progress on Modern Warfare 4, but “expect fair pay, fair treatment, and the fair contract we’ve spent over two years bargaining for.” The worker added: “We’re forced to come into work everyday without fair accommodations and we continue to be under constant threat of sweeping layoffs without meaningful protections. Time and time again we’ve asked the company to meet us at the table to resolve these issues, and we’ve seen nothing but delays and unrealistic counters.”
The strike vote also follows less than a month after Xbox laid off yet more staff as part of their wider series of cuts, with further reductions still expected.
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