The ongoing revolution of video game workers has spread to Sweden. According to an IGN report, more than 100 Avalanche Studios developers have joined Unionen, the Swedish trade union. The call for video game workers to unionize intensified this year following the brazen layoffs in the industry.
Avalanche Studios is the studio behind Just Cause, Mad Max, Rage 2, and Contraband—a co-op, open-world heist set in a fictional 70s locale. The news was confirmed by IGN through an Avalanche Studios union representative. Avalanche Studios PR and representatives of Unionen also confirmed the report.
Avalanche Studios has about 500 employees. Earlier this year, the 100 members that unionized formed a “club” to bargain directly with the studio management over specific benefits. According to reports, negotiation started last week and is ongoing. Also bargaining with Avalanche are employees who belong to the Sveriges Ingenjörer union.
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In recent years, gaming studios have continued to declare huge profits—notwithstanding that studios have continued to complain about the rising cost of making AAA games. However, the pay and working condition of game developers has continued to deteriorate.
“As an employer, we’re committed to creating the best possible conditions for all Avalanchers to thrive,” a studio spokesperson replied to IGN when they asked for comments. “We support and welcome any initiative that goes in this direction. This also means that we listen, invite dialogue, and encourage people to bring forward their perspectives and needs.”
Whenever we share a post about a studio layoff, most of the comments usually point to the importance of unionization in the gaming industry. Many believe that game devs can only demand better and put an end to the arbitrary hiring and firing when they come together as a union.
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It appears game developers have taken the bold step of forming unions to hold their employers to account. CD Projekt Red developers recently announced that they have formed a union. Unlike Avalanche Studios, CD Projekt Red has yet to comment on the development.
From the way we see it, workers of many other game studios around the world will likely unionize in the coming months.
Why it was easy for Avalanche Studios devs to unionize
Becoming a union member in Sweden is relatively easier compared to unionizing in North America. In Sweden, eligible workers can join a trade union at any time. Consequently, more than 65% of the country’s workers are unionized, according to Statista—but Unionen puts the figure at 70%.
In the United States, before workers at a particular company can form a union, there must be a union election at their workplace—and the majority must vote in favor of unionizing. In Sweden, it is more common to have a union at a workplace than not.
The development at Avalanche Studios is interesting because it is the first time that any union will bargain with the studio since it was founded 20 years ago. Due to its high membership, Swedish unions are powerful enough to negotiate general working conditions like sick leave and salaries for workers in different sectors around the country.
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However, broader negotiations can only happen when enough employees of the company are members of the same union and vote for the board to negotiate on their behalf. In addition to that, local union boards will now have a say in company decisions like hiring and firing of employees and the addition of C-suite members.
“We (by which I mean the board of the local union branch) are very hopeful about the prospect of signing a collective bargaining agreement, and believe that this will be a great step towards ensuring that the thoughts, ideas, feelings, and opinions of Avalanche’s employees are given the representation that they deserve,” a union representative from Avalanche Studios told IGN in a statement.
What should game developers ask for from their employers?
It is still unclear what the Unionen representatives are negotiating with Avalanche Studios management. The union representatives declined to share this detail. However, there are speculations that one of the possible items of interest to employees is a four-day workweek.
Nevertheless, we will be surprised if wage increases and working hours are not included in the negotiations. Although negotiations have only begun, the mood and progress from both parties have been mostly positive.
It is important to mention that unionization is not a magic wand that will solve the burgeoning problems in the game industry. For example, workers at Vodeo Games successfully unionized and the studio eventually shut down due to the poor sales of Beast Breaker.
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Keyword Studios employees also successfully formed a union. However, once the studio’s contract with BioWare ended, all the unionized developers were laid off. A similar unionization effort at Proletariat, a Blizzard Entertainment subsidiary, crumbled for different reasons.
Although unionization may not be a silver bullet, it strengthens employees’ collective action. In November 2022, Avalanche Studios employees successfully pressured management to publicly apologize for hiring an individual with stains of inappropriate workplace behavior toward women.
There is a growing labor movement in the video game industry, and it will be interesting to see how much difference they will make in the coming years.
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