Ahead of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4’s launch next week, unionised Activision testers have voted to authorise a strike
Activision’s unionised quality assurance workers have voted to authorize a strike, escalating labour tensions at the publisher ahead of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4’s launch next week. The union, formally established in March 2024, represents approximately 600 QA testers at Activision.
The vote comes after over two years of challenging negotiations between the union—known as Activision Quality Assurance United-CWA—and company management. Union representative Emily Danko characterised the bargaining process as “long and exhausting,” noting that while the union has made what it considers responsible concessions, Activision continues to delay progress on fundamental worker concerns.
The primary sticking points centre on wages, workplace accommodations, and worker protections. These issues remain unresolved despite the extended negotiation period, prompting the union’s decision to authorise strike action should conditions fail to improve. The timing is significant given that Modern Warfare 4 is scheduled to launch within days, placing potential pressure on Activision to reach a settlement before the strike can proceed.
The strike authorisation demonstrates the determination and unity among QA workers seeking better working conditions. The dispute highlights broader industry challenges regarding quality assurance worker treatment, compensation, and labour rights within major gaming publishers.