Workers at Cyberpunk 2077 studio CD Projekt are forming a union in an effort to characterize and supply a voice for “all Polish gamedev employees” whereas enhancing trade circumstances, after round 9% of the corporate’s improvement studio CD Projekt Crimson had been laid off earlier this yr.
With the event of Cyberpunk 2077 wrapping up and the following entry in The Witcher saga within the works, employees on the RPG sport maker have shaped a union that’s open to all Polish sport builders. The Polish Gamedev Employees Union (PGWA) comes a couple of months after the CD Projekt Crimson layoffs, with the objective of “creating video games in a steady, honest, numerous, and wholesome surroundings.”
The PGWA says it “Began speaking about unionizing after the 2023 wave of layoffs when 9% of Crimson (that’s roughly 100 folks) was let go.
“This occasion created an incredible quantity of stress and insecurity, affecting our psychological well being and resulting in the creation of this union in response. Having a union means having extra safety, transparency, higher safety, and a stronger voice in occasions of disaster,” the PGWA web site says.
The videogame trade has been hit closely by layoffs not too long ago with Wolf Amongst Us 2 studio Telltale, Fortnite maker Epic Video games, and Sega’s Artistic Meeting all seeking to cut back employees.
The PGWA Union is a part of the nationwide Polish Commerce Union Employees Initiative, giving sport builders entry to authorized assist, expertise, and a big community whereas nonetheless having the ability to independently function inside the videogame trade.
As of proper now the union needs to assemble extra members and has reached out to the CD Projekt board to begin a dialogue, because the PGWA is presently nonetheless in a trial interval, and thus not legally established, till round mid-December of 2023.
Whereas the PGWA is open to all Polish sport builders, the union has famous that CD Projekt workplace-specific advantages gained’t apply to non-CD Projekt employees “till you collect a big sufficient group for us to ascertain our fee in your office as properly.”
It’s price noting that the union applies to all CD Projekt employees, not simply these within the game-making arm of the corporate at CD Projekt Crimson.
The PGWA’s formation comes as a response to this yr’s CD Projekt Crimson layoffs, when CD Projekt CEO Adam Kiciński stated, “There’s no simple strategy to say this, however right now we’re overstaffed,” as round 100 employees would slowly be let go.
“This is not going to be quick as some workers will probably be let go as late as Q1 2024 however, within the spirit of transparency, we’ve chosen to share the data now,” Kiciński added. “We would like group members to have ample time to course of and modify to the change, and we’ve additionally made certain to supply everybody a complete severance bundle.”
PCGamesN has contacted the PGWA and can replace this story with any additional feedback.