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Raven Software QA strike to end pending union recognition

ABetterABK has shared an update surrounding the current QA strike at Raven Software.

Donovan Erskine

January 24, 2022 9:40 AM

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QA workers at Raven Software, the team behind Call of Duty: Warzone, have been on strike since December 2021 following parent company Activision Blizzard’s decision to not renew contracts for a dozen members of the team, laying them off from their positions. Last week, the group partnered with the CWA to create a new union in the Game Workers Alliance. Now asking for their union to be officially recognized by Activision Blizzard, ABetterABK has stated that the QA strike will end if that recognition is granted.

The ABetterABK Twitter account has been a primary vessel of communication for workers at the video game company, and is where we got our latest update on the ongoing events at Raven Software. “Pending the recognition of our union, the Raven QA strike has ended. Unused strike funds are being stored for future organizing/strike efforts.”

Pending the recognition of our union, the Raven QA strike has ended. Unused strike funds are being stored for future organizing/strike efforts.

We'll post or retweet any GWU updates here. Appreciate all the community support throughout the strike!

— ABetterABK 💙 ABK Workers Alliance (@ABetterABK) January 23, 2022

While many interpreted this as an official announcement of the end of the company’s strike, ABetterABK later clarified that the strike has not ended just yet. “we have asked to be recognized under GWA, *pending* refers to pending response from leadership. Either positive or negative. We are acting in good faith and asking for good faith.” If Activision Blizzard chooses to officially recognize the GWA and its demands, the workers at Raven will end their strike. If that recognition doesn’t come, the strike will continue for the foreseeable future.

The situation at Activision Blizzard has been constantly evolving over the past several months. The last wrinkle came when the parent company opted to layoff several QA testers at Raven, despite reassurance that contracts would be worked out. This led to the QA strike that is currently ongoing. For future updates on what’s happening at Raven Software, stick with us here on Shacknews.

Donovan Erskine

News Editor

Donovan is a journalist from Maryland. His oldest gaming memory is playing Pajama Sam on his mom's desktop during weekends. Pokémon Emerald, Halo 2, and the original Star Wars Battlefront 2 were some of the most influential titles in awakening his love for video games. After interning for Shacknews throughout college, Donovan graduated from Bowie State University in 2020 with a major in broadcast journalism and joined the team full-time. He is a huge film fanatic and will talk with you about movies and games all day. You can follow him on twitter @Donimals_