Activision Blizzard QA Staff Strike Against Return-to-Office Mandate

Following the strike of over 700 of Ubisoft’s French staff to protest the mandatory return-to-office order, the quality assurance staff at Activision Blizzard is taking the same action to walk out against the company’s return-to-office mandate. 

In January, Activision asked the workers at the quality assurance studio to work fully in the office, ending a several-year period of remote work or a hybrid work style. This order has been regarded as a “soft layoff" by the company’s biggest union. Despite nine months having passed, the employees' dissatisfaction did not decrease over time. 

ABetterABK, a workers group at Activision, issued a statement before the strike, saying that the company’s policy has "unquestionably harmed disabled employees and employees in need of work-from-home accommodations." With support from the Communications Workers of America (CWA), members of the QA department in Eden Prarie, Minnesota, organized a walk last Friday. Some of the participants also worked on the Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, which just launched last Friday.

Activision has responded to the protest in a statement issued to Eurogamer, with the spokesperson saying the company understands "that returning to the office has been an adjustment for some. We engage in an interactive process with employees who request accommodations. This is an ongoing conversation at the bargaining table, and we will continue to discuss our respective interests in that forum."