(PETALUMA, CALIFORNIA) – Twenty-Three Workers employed at 2K’s Motion Capture (MoCap) Studio in Petaluma, California have voted to Unionize with the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE).

The election, supervised by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), marks the first successful Unionization effort at a Motion Capture Studio in the Video Game Industry’s history.

The final vote count was 15 in favor (71%), with only six against.

The Petaluma MoCap Workers are a key part of Take-Two Interactive’s production pipeline, contributing to blockbuster franchises such as NBA 2K, WWE 2K, Bioshock and XCOM.

By joining IATSE, the Workers have taken a significant step toward securing job security, fair pay and improved working conditions through collective bargaining, Union Officials said.

Ryan Kwok, a Motion Capture Tools Engineer, said: “Our victory would not have been possible without the compassion and sense of duty that our teammates have for one another.  I felt inspired to see so many of us rally together to equip ourselves with the means to create positive change at our studio.  The state of the industry is severe.  Why must Workers take the fall when corporations overextend and collapse?  On top of that, AI (Artificial Intelligence) stands to dramatically change the way games will be created if protections for human creatives are not secured in the present.  I’m optimistic that Take-Two will recognize that we are investing in this studio, just as they have.  We hope to bargain in good faith to make this studio’s processes more transparent, Democratic and equitable for all of us.”

The election included Workers across several job titles and designations, including: Jr. Motion Capture Tools Engineer; Junior Motion Capture Stage Technician; Mocap Technical Animator; Motion Capture Animator; Motion Capture Artist II; Motion Capture Audio Recording Specialist; Motion Capture Audio Specialist; Motion Capture Lead Solver; Motion Capture Master Carpenter; Motion Capture Scenic Fabricator; Motion Capture Stage Technician; Motion Capture Tools Engineer; Senior Mocap AD; Sr. Motion Capture Tools Engineer; Sr. Virtual Production Tech; Mocap; Stage Technician; and Stage Technician I.

IATSE International President Matthew Loeb emphasized the historic significance of the vote: “This victory is not just about one studio.  It’s about the future of work in the Video Game Industry.  2K MoCap Workers have shown what many other Entertainment Workers already know - that collective action is the best way to secure fairness, equity and respect in the workplace.  Their courage will inspire others in the industry to follow suit.  This outcome also demonstrates what can be achieved when Workers exercise their right to organize, a right that we will continue to fight to defend and expand.”

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