Home / Business and Economy / Magic: The Gathering Devs Form Union
Magic: The Gathering Devs Form Union
27 Apr
Summary
- Over 100 employees designing Magic: The Gathering video games are unionizing.
- Employees seek say in layoffs, fair wages, and remote work protections.
- Magic: The Gathering generated $1.72 billion last year, with digital gaming at $500 million.
Over 100 employees at Hasbro Inc. who design the video game adaptation of Magic: The Gathering have initiated plans to unionize. They are seeking to join the Communications Workers of America.
Damien Wilson, a senior software development engineer for Magic: The Gathering Arena, stated that the organizing effort is for "a say in layoffs, accountability that runs up and down the chain and a living wage." The employees aim for voluntary recognition from Hasbro by May 1st, having filed for a union election with the National Labor Relations Board.
These workers have cited issues such as remote work protections, concerns regarding working hours, and guardrails for generative artificial intelligence as key motivators for unionizing. This unionization drive occurs as Magic: The Gathering experiences significant financial success. Last year, the game achieved record earnings of $1.72 billion, with its popular video game, Magic: The Gathering Arena, alone accounting for $500 million in digital gaming revenue for Hasbro's Wizards of the Coast unit.
