Magic: The Gathering Arena Developers Form Union at Wizards of the Coast Under CWA

Workers at Wizards of the Coast, the developer behind Magic: The Gathering Arena, have announced the formation of United Wizards of the Coast, a union affiliated with the Communications Workers of America (CWA). The union represents more than 100 employees and was announced on Monday.

The union effort has been ongoing for several months to a year in different phases, but recent changes at the company—including return-to-office mandates and concerns about AI—sparked the latest push for organization.

United Wizards of the Coast notified the company on Monday morning and filed a petition for a vote with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). The union includes game designers, artists, producers, engineers, and other staff working on Magic: The Gathering Arena.

Key Concerns Driving Unionization

Workers cited several issues prompting the unionization effort, including:

• Breakdown in communication with management
• Defensive leadership attitudes
• Return-to-office mandates
• Concerns over generative AI
• Layoff protections
• Sustainable workloads and crunch policies
• Career progression opportunities
• Removal of a policy allowing Hasbro (Wizards of the Coast’s parent company) to claim ownership of creative materials created by employees, even outside work hours

"Over time, communication [with management] has broken down a bit. We've started to get defensive attitudes from leadership, much more 'it's our way or the highway.' That's what pushed a lot of us into union organizing, because we don't have another viable mechanism for redress."

Rogue Kessler, digital product manager and union member

Remote Work and AI: Major Points of Contention

Valentine Powell, a senior software engineer and organizing committee member, highlighted concerns over generative AI and return-to-office policies. Powell was hired with the promise of remote work but is now required to relocate to Seattle within two years.

"Somebody at Hasbro basically was like, 'Hey, you have to come back to the office.' And nobody at Wizards of the Coast can do anything about it."

Valentine Powell, senior software engineer

Kessler echoed Powell’s concerns, noting that many remote hires were recruited specifically for their skills, only to face sudden changes in remote work policies.

"We've expanded the team a lot. We've grown the Arena team by an order of magnitude, and a tremendous portion of the people we've hired have been remote. We've gone where the talent is, looked beyond the immediate Seattle area to find the best and the brightest to make this game. And now that we've been using those people's labor for years, all of a sudden, you're not allowed to be remote anymore. The circumstances under which you were hired are being changed out from under you."

Rogue Kessler, digital product manager

Union Demands and Next Steps

United Wizards of the Coast is urging Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast to voluntarily recognize the union and ensure neutrality in the upcoming NLRB election. The deadline for voluntary recognition is May 1, International Workers Day. If the company complies, the union will withdraw its petition to the NLRB.

The union is also calling on players and fans of Magic: The Gathering Arena to show their support.