Psychonauts, Kiln studio Double Fine votes to unionise
Double Fine Productions, the developer behind Psychonauts and Kiln, has voted to unionize with the Communications Workers of America (CWA). The unionization effort concluded with 42 full- and part-time employees voting in favor of forming a union at the studio.
The move represents another significant unionization effort at a Microsoft-owned game studio, following similar union organizing campaigns at other Microsoft-owned developers. The CWA, which has been actively organizing gaming industry workers, confirmed the unionization drive following a petition filed by workers at the end of the previous week.
According to the CWA’s announcement on May 7th, workers at Double Fine are seeking to form a union to “preserve and extend the studio’s commitments to creative excellence, diversity and inclusion, and worker quality of life.” This framing suggests the unionization effort is focused on protecting workplace conditions and ensuring the studio maintains its creative values alongside its corporate responsibilities.
Microsoft has signaled a neutral stance on the unionization, agreeing not to interfere with workers’ rights to organize unions. This approach stands in contrast to some other major publishers’ responses to unionization efforts and reflects a broader acceptance of union organizing at Microsoft-owned studios.
The unionization of Double Fine adds to a growing wave of union organizing activity in the gaming industry, where workers have increasingly sought to form unions to address issues around job security, working conditions, and creative autonomy.