ZeniMax union votes to authorize a strike

Members of ZeniMax Workers United, a union of over 300 quality assurance workers in Texas and Maryland, have voted to authorize a strike.

The vote, which passed with over 94 percent in favor of authorization, does not mean workers have gone on strike like SAG-AFTRA members have in the ongoing video game voice actors strike. But should contract negotiations break down, the ZeniMax union now has the permission to call a strike.

This authorization comes as contract negotiations between union members and parent company Microsoft continue into a second year.

The strike authorization is the latest escalation between the union and management. Last year, ZeniMax Workers United participated in a one-day strike claiming that Microsoft did not adequately address employee concerns over its return to office policies and its outsourcing practices. Those concerns have come up again in negotiations alongside better pay and benefits.

“Our in-house contractors have been working on minimal wages with no benefits, including no paid sick time,” said associate QA tester Aubrey Litchfield in the press release announcing the strike authorization. “Workers are choosing not to start families because of the uncertainty of finances. We’ve released multiple titles while working fully remote. When will enough be enough?”

“Our quality assurance team is an integral part of our business and is key to our ability to deliver games our players will love,” Microsoft spokesperson Delaney Simmons says in a statement to The Verge. We respect the team’s right to express their viewpoints and are deeply committed to reaching a fair and equitable resolution that acknowledges the teams’ contributions. There has been substantial progress over the course of the negotiations, reaching tentative agreements on a majority of the topics at the table. We have presented a package proposal that we believe is fair — if accepted it would result in immediate compensation increases, even more robust benefits and is in alignment to the company’s hybrid model of 3 days in office. We look forward to continuing this progress during negotiations.”

ZeniMax Workers United is one of several unions under the Microsoft umbrella. It formed in 2023 and was once the largest union within the company with 300 members before Activision Quality Assurance United organized roughly 600 quality assurance workers last year.

At GDC 2025, the Communications Workers of America (CWA) announced the launch of the United Videogame Workers, a nationwide direct-join union open to any worker in the video game industry.