Overview

• Developers who work on the Diablo series voted to unionize in a process that concluded on April 27, 2025, according to the Communications Workers of America.
• The unit will be represented across CWA locals 9510 in Irvine, 1118 in Albany, and 6215 in Austin, covering designers, engineers, artists, and support staff.
• Organizers point to mass layoffs at Microsoft as a central motivator, highlighting fear of sudden cuts, crunch, and the so‑called passion tax; reporting references cuts affecting roughly 9,000 roles and concerns over AI priorities.
• The move extends a yearlong organizing trend at Microsoft-owned studios, following union wins by World of Warcraft, Overwatch, and Blizzard’s Story and Franchise Development teams.
• Blizzard has been contacted for comment; organizers say the next phase is formal recognition where applicable and negotiating first collective-bargaining agreements.