Diablo Game Developers Join Communications Workers of America

Posted4 months agoActive4 months ago

ughitsaaron

24 points

18 comments

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Gaming Industry

Labor Rights

Unionization

The unionization of hundreds of Diablo game developers has sparked a lively debate about the impact of collective bargaining on the gaming industry. While some commenters, like mouse_, believe that unions lead to better, more sustainable work, others, such as SilverElfin, express skepticism, citing concerns about "design by committee" and the potential stifling of creativity. The discussion reveals a divide between those who see unions as a protective force for workers, as sfpotter notes in the context of Seattle's public school teachers, and those who view them as a hindrance to innovation, with BearOso pointing to the pitfalls of micromanagement. As the conversation unfolds, it becomes clear that the Diablo developers' decision to join the Communications Workers of America is just the starting point for a broader discussion about the role of unions in shaping the gaming industry's future.

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01Story posted
Aug 28, 2025 at 5:45 PM EDT
4 months ago
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Discussion (18 comments)

Showing 18 comments

SilverElfin

4 months ago

2 replies

Diablo is so far from the magic that made it special that I can’t imagine this helps what seems to already be a dying brand (Activision Blizzard).

mouse_

4 months ago

1 reply

It will, for what it's worth. Unions do better, more sustainable work, and help everybody.

SilverElfin

4 months ago

3 replies

Having seen what unions have done in many places, particularly public sector unions like for teachers, I disagree. The problems of union culture are also obvious to anyone who has had to work in a big union shop (like at a very large company) or do contract work for them. The protectionism leads to irrational inefficiency and blockades of random rules that make no sense. And these days, unions are involved in all sorts of political issues that are irrelevant to the workplace, which is not appropriate.

I’m not saying unions are universally bad. But I am saying that American union culture’s track record is debatable at best. I have heard though that unions in Europe tend to be a lot more constructive and effective.

sfpotter

4 months ago

2 replies

Here in Seattle, public school teachers would not have even the most basic cost of living adjustments without the union. And they have to bargain strenuously to get even the meager COLA they are able to get. If the unions were dissolved the schools would be a significantly worse state than they are now, which is saying something.

SilverElfin

4 months ago

2 replies

From what I found in a quick search, it seems like Seattle public school teachers effectively get more than a 5% raise each year when you average it. That’s a lot higher than the typical worker’s situation, so it doesn’t seem like they’re getting something meager. Articles also seemed to imply that these raises they demanded would make the city’s budget not work.

Regardless - how do you feel about what you’re getting in return? What’s your opinion on the quality of Seattle teachers and the schools there overall?

sfpotter

4 months ago

1 reply

In Seattle, 5% is meager considering what tech workers here make. If you work as a teacher in the city of Seattle, you're likely looking at ~$100K/year, after at least a few years of experience, and assuming you have a masters degree with the requisite endorsements. So, lots of debt on top of that. Note that there are many other support staff in the schools who make significantly less but who do jobs which are no less important. If your spouse makes a similar amount, the likelihood you can own your own home unless you're phenomenally frugal and careful with your money is low. I have multiple friends who are city of Seattle teachers and they've been priced out of the city, by and large.

My opinion is that the teachers should be paid more and people in the city should be taxed far higher than they are. I attended Seattle public schools K-12 myself, and the older I get (now in my late 30's with a kid of my own), virtually all problems they face can be addressed by better compensation. All the teachers I know are kind, well-meaning people who do their best despite facing an adverse situation. Teaching has gotten significantly more difficult since COVID. In Seattle in particular, high income families have tended to pull their kids out of public schools and put them in private schools, where paying upwards of $50-60K/year isn't uncommon. Because of the ways public schools are funded in the state, this essentially operates as a zero sum game.

sentinelsignal

4 months ago

3 replies

imo i never really understood why teachers were so underpaid all over the world. Considering the fact that they play a key role in society

Tarsul

4 months ago

1 reply

They are not underpaid in Germany (I'd guess top 20-30% of German income) and probably other European countries.

sfpotter

4 months ago

This is truly a wonderful thing. I hope you all appreciate how lucky this is and protect the institutions enabling this.

sfpotter

4 months ago

1 reply

In the US, I think it's a combination of broad-based anti-intellectualism and scorn for those who do care or service work. "Those who can't do, teach" is a phrase that's ingrained in most young people. I think many people harbor the belief that they can do teachers' jobs better, and I think the low pay seriously exacerbates this issue. When the pay is low, when schools are desperate for employees, and when you have too-stringent tenure system in place (it can be very hard to let senior public school teachers go), then you do end up with lackluster teachers. Continuing with Seattle as an example, when you have tech workers with serious academic credentials interacting with teachers who could easily make 1/10th their annual total compensation, and who may very well have far less impressive credentials, there can be an understandable sense of anger, frustration, resentfulness, etc.

I really think the solution is to pay way more. I have a math background: I did a very prestigious postdoc at one of the best applied math institutions in the world. I love teaching. If I could get paid at least $150k/year to teach high school math in the Seattle public school systems, I would jump at the opportunity. I think a lot of other people would, too. If you create the opportunity for exemplary people with superlative backgrounds to teach and to inspire young people, it will easily burnish the reputation of the schools and create a virtuous cycle enabling their improvement.

sentinelsignal

4 months ago

Hm i see. And in a situation that i see someone mentioned that there were plenty of teachers but aren't able to be funded adequately or were attracted to the new better wages. Seems like a tough situation that I'm not sure has a solution.

Ekaros

4 months ago

Well they have relatively low productivity and there is lot of them. Basically society can't afford to pay lot to them.

toomuchtodo

4 months ago

Your average worker is getting raked over the coals, so those doing well should not be compared to them because the organized have better pay and benefits. No union, no power to improve your pay, working conditions, and labor protections.

https://home.treasury.gov/news/featured-stories/labor-unions...

https://www.epi.org/publication/eroded-collective-bargaining...

https://www.epi.org/publication/charting-wage-stagnation/

nunez

4 months ago

Facts. See the pay scales for any public teaching position in the South. Garbage.

vdupras

4 months ago

If I try to sum up all the irrational rules I've seen in my professional life, sure, I've seen some coming from unions, but my general impression is that most of the "wtf" I've seen come from management, or, in the case of the public sector, the political elite. "most" is probably an understatement.

footlose_3815

4 months ago

Those are just the anecdotal bad things unions are known for in political smear campaigns.

Blockade from what? Flip the script and they're protecting their own. Someone joined a group that protected them. Seems like a good deal to an individual contributor.

But then you got cop unions, who move abusers around and shield people from consequences. But they're different because they're state power with the power to ruin lives at him. So of course they get bad raps.

Not all systems are perfect, not all unions are the same, but the philosophy of them in-general, unions are decidedly better than without for those who benefit from them. That includes the general public who knows their traffic light wasn't put up by a corner-cutting SC who doesn't care what happens to it in 3 months.

BearOso

4 months ago

I don't think the workers are the problem. It's "design by committee." The workers just do what they're told as the managers micromanage every aspect of the game to milk the most profit out if it. It's the same phenomena responsible for today's milquetoast Hollywood blockbusters.

toomuchtodo

4 months ago

Congrats to these developers!

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ID: 45057414Type: storyLast synced: 11/20/2025, 6:27:41 PM

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