(RENTON, WASHINGTON) - Wizards of the Coast’s Dungeons & Dragons team (Dungeons & Dragons, D&D Beyond) and Studio X (Magic: The Gathering, Duel Masters) have announced their intent to form a Union with the Communications Workers of America (CWA) as a part of United Wizards of the Coast-CWA (UWOTC-CWA).

This announcement comes in the wake of The Magic: The Gathering Arena (MTG Arena) Team’s successful Unionization with the CWA.

MTG Arena announced their Union in April of this year and won their election this Summer.

Both teams echoed many of the same reasons for forming a Union as their MTG Arena counterparts.

In their open letter to leadership, Members of Studio X remarked it “has become clear that it is in the Workers’ best interests to pursue collective bargaining power in order to bring equity to the workplace.”

They also cited mounting instability within Wizards and the Gaming Industry, a desire for fair compensation that reflects their work, clearly-defined career progression - and more.

Dungeons & Dragons and Studio X’s Union plans to follow in the footsteps of Wizards of the Coast’s MTG Arena Team.

MTG Arena is the premier digital equivalent of Magic: The Gathering.

Studio X and MTG Arena have a long-running internal relationship and Members of MTG Arena’s Union have voiced their support for their sibling Units’ efforts.

These teams have given management until today (Tuesday, October 13th) to voluntarily recognize their Union.

To ensure a timely certification process, Workers have also filed an election petition with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).

“Everyone I work with makes our company, our game and our community stronger by bringing their talent, expertise and effort to making Magic,” UWOTC-CWA Member and Magic Rules Manager Eric Levine said. “Those incredible people deserve fair compensation, remote protections, clear career progression and more. Supporting the people who make the game will ensure that Magic keeps getting better for years to come.”

Joey Haeck, a Member of UWOTC-CWA and Senior Game Designer on Dungeons & Dragons, shared they are organizing “because scared Workers are neither happy nor productive.”

“By organizing to negotiate a fair contract on issues of layoff protections, forced relocation protections, equitable pay and career advancement, mandatory AI (Artificial Intelligence) use protections, parental support and more. We make our game better by investing in our human creators and resisting the churn and brain drain caused by roller-coaster layoffs,” he said.

Haeck’s concerns around layoffs and the encroachment of AI represent pressing concerns in the Gaming Industry and recent Unionization efforts have worked to address these concerns through collective action.

Other Gaming Studios like Blizzard, Paizo and more have joined with CWA to secure further protections for their Workers.

More than 4,000 Workers have organized across the Gaming Industry to expand Game Worker solidarity as part of CWA’s Campaign to Organize Digital Employees (CODE-CWA), spanning from AAA studios in Microsoft’s Gaming Division to Independent Publishers.

To Read This Organizing Labor News Story In Its Entirety, Go To: Dungeons & Dragons and Studio X Teams Form Latest Wizards of the Coast Unions with CWA | Communications Workers of America