Game Developer Avalanche Studios Takes a Big Leap Forward with Unionization

Highlights

Avalanche Studios Group, the renowned Swedish firm responsible for the highly popular Just Cause franchise, has united with fellow gaming enterprises in forming a union. With the participation of more than 100 skilled developers, this collaborative effort aims to enhance their collective ability to negotiate advantageous terms.

Negotiations between the union and Avalanche reportedly cover various issues, such as implementing a four-day workweek. Encouragingly, positive progress has been achieved thus far.

Despite the potential advantages for workers, unionization does not ensure job security, exemplified by the recent layoffs of unionized QA workers from Dragon Age: Dreadwolf.

The Avalanche Studios Group, renowned for their creation of the Just Cause series, recently underwent unionization, marking a significant milestone in the company's history. This development places Avalanche among the growing number of game industry companies that have chosen to unionize, following in the footsteps of Sega of America, Blizzard Albany, Raven Software, and others.

Founded in 2003, Avalanche Studios is a Swedish company that has gained a reputation for their notable franchises such as Just Cause and theHunter, as well as their production of other top-tier games like Rage 2. Currently, Avalanche is said to be actively working on an upcoming medieval action game with an unidentified title, another exciting addition to the Just Cause series, and Contraband, a cooperative open-world title.

Now,

over 100 developers from Avalanche Studios have joined Unionen, a Swedish trade union, in order to enhance their bargaining power within the studio. This group accounts for approximately 20% of the company's workforce, which consists of around 500 employees in total. According to IGN, negotiations between the unions and Avalanche commenced last week and are presently ongoing. Sveriges Ingenjorer, another trade union with a limited number of members in Avalanche, is also involved in these negotiations. IGN suggested that the discussions will cover various topics, including the possibility of implementing a four-day workweek. The media outlet further reported that progress during the negotiations has been encouraging. This development carries significant weight as it signifies the first instance in the studio's 20-year history where there is an officially established bargaining table.

When discussing the unionization of the makers of the Just Cause franchise, it is important to note that union membership rates are significantly higher in Sweden compared to the United States. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, around 70% of Swedish workers are currently members of a union, while only 11.3% belong to a union in the US. Unlike in America, Swedish workers have the freedom to join a union at any time without the need for a union election. Additionally, Sweden has a stronger tradition of collective bargaining, which may explain the disparity in union membership figures.

While unionizing could potentially benefit the workers at Avalanche Studios, it is not a guarantee. A recent example is the layoff of unionized QA workers from Dragon Age: Dreadwolf. In this case, all 13 quality assurance employees based in Edmonton at Keywords Studios were terminated. However, these layoff actions are reportedly unrelated to unionization, but rather a result of BioWare's decision not to renew the contract of the third-party company that employed these individuals.

Source: IGN