Magic: The Gathering Arena workers have asked senior management at Wizards of the Coast to recognize the union by Friday, citing concerns about working conditions.
RENTON, Wash. — A “supermajority” of workers who develop a popular online game based in Renton intend to unionize, according to the Communications Workers of America.
This week, the team behind Magic: The Gathering Arena, developed by Wizards of the Coast, announced its intent to form a union called UWOTC-CWA.
Wizards of the Coast, a subsidiary of Hasbro, is headquartered in Renton. The company claims Arena hosts at least 13 million registered players, and that the broader game made $1.7 billion in revenue in the 2025 fiscal year.
“At Wizards, we’re organizing for a say in layoffs, accountability that runs up and down the chain, and a living wage that actually lets people build a life. I’m hopeful about what we can build here and being clear-eyed about why it’s necessary,” said UWOTC-CWA member Damien Wilson, a senior software development engineer for Magic: The Gathering Arena.
Workers have asked senior management at Wizards of the Coast to recognize the union by Friday, citing concerns about working conditions and calling for improved job security. Those demands include layoff and remote work protections, guardrails against AI usage and limits on mandatory overtime.
“We know the workers who make the game can and should be treated better, and our aim is to show that to the world through our union efforts,” the letter reads.
Workers filed an election petition with the National Labor Relations Board on Monday.
According to the petition, the Arena team includes 97 full-time and regular part-time employees.
The effort marks the first unionization push at Wizards of the Coast, according to the CWA.
“Today’s union announcement is a milestone not just for these workers but for the games industry as a whole. Whether someone is designing digital worlds or crafting tabletop experiences, every worker deserves job security, fair compensation, and a seat at the table,” said CWA District 7 Vice President Susie McAllister.
Wizards of the Coast could not be immediately reached for comment.
The Communications Workers of America represents hundreds of thousands of workers across the tech, media, telecommunications and other industries, according to the labor organization.
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