Developers at Bethesda Game Studios have chosen to unionize with the Communications Workers of America, a national labor organization that has also engaged in collective bargaining with Activision Blizzard employees.

Unlike some game industry unions, which have isolated members in the QA department, this is a “wall-to-wall union” and was formed by a vote from 241 “artists, engineers, programmers and designers” across three offices, says the CWA. It is the first time a Microsoft-owned studio has done so.

Bethesda Game Studios is a spin-off from publisher Bethesda Softworks, and when most people think of “Bethesda,” they refer to this company: led by Todd Howard, it developed the latest “Fallout,” “Elder Scrolls,” and last year's ” Starfield”.

Microsoft acquired ZeniMax Media in 2021, an acquisition that included not only the two Bethesda companies but also a number of other subsidiary studios, including id Software. Earlier this year, Microsoft closed four studios, including Arkane Austin and Tango Gameworks.

All the way up to Microsoft's recent acquisition of another massive buyout, Activision Blizzard, the giant tech company strategically positioned itself as friendly to labor unions. This time, Microsoft doesn't appear to have put up a fight: according to the CWA, Microsoft has already recognized the union. The next step is for Microsoft and the union members to agree on a contract, but whether this will go smoothly remains to be seen.

“As a democratic organization, we seek to empower the collective aspirations of studio workers to provide a safe, sustainable, and fair working environment for all,” the newly formed union, which calls itself OneBGS, announced. By having a proper seat at the discussion table, we can turn that aspiration into reality.”

The new union includes developers from three Bethesda game studios in the United States. The fourth, BGS Studios in Montreal, voted to form a union with the Canadian chapter of the CWA in June.