Wizards of the Coast refuses to voluntarily recognise unionising D&D and Magic The Gathering workers

Wizards of the Coast has refused to voluntarily recognise the Dungeons & Dragons and Studio X units of labour union United Wizards of the Coast—CWA (UWOTC-CWA).

The union shared the news in a post on Bluesky, but said it remains "committed to creating a workplace focused on wellness, transparency, and collaboration by winning our coming election."

Members of the Dungeons & Dragons (Dungeons & Dragons, D&D Beyond) and Studio X (Magic: The Gathering; Duel Masters) teams signalled their intent to join UWOTC-CWA earlier this month. The cohort said they were inspired by the game developers behind Magic The Gathering: Arena, whose landmark union push resulted in the formation of UWOTC-CWA.

Notably, those involved are demanding fair wages, job security, accessible healthcare, sustainable workloads, generative AI protections, and full ownership of work created outside the office. 

"Workers should be secure in the face of industry instability, roles should be clearly defined, and workers should be able to grow their careers through meaningful raises, role changes, and promotions," they explained when breaking cover.

"[...] Intensive crunch and forced RTO aren’t just bad for business. They hurt workers’ families and communities, which in turn affects the work we can produce."

Wizards of the Coast previously declined to voluntarily recognise unionising Magic The Gathering: Arena developers, who also accused the company of discouraging union activity (thanks, Kotaku).

Undeterred, workers participated in an NLRB election where a majority voted in favour of unionisation.

UWOTC-CWA is calling on advocates and supporters to sign a petition demanding Wizards of the Coast reconsider its decision.