CD Projekt Red Developers Form Union in Response to Layoffs
Developers at CD Projekt Red, the studio behind Cyberpunk 2077 and The Witcher 3, have recently formed a union in response to the company’s three rounds of layoffs this year. The Polish Gamedev Workers Union, founded by Lev Ki and Paweł Myszka, has submitted all necessary documentation but has yet to receive a response from the CDPR management, as reported by Eurogamer.
“We started talking about unionizing after the 2023 wave of layoffs when 9 percent of Reds (that is roughly 100 people) were let go,” according to a FAQ answer on the union’s website. “This event created a tremendous amount of stress and insecurity, affecting our mental health and leading to the creation of this union in response. Having a union means having more security, transparency, better protection, and a stronger voice in times of crisis.”
The Polish Gamedev Workers Union is a section of OZZ IP, a large union that covers various sectors and companies in Poland. Its main focus right now is on CD Projekt Red employees, aiming to provide a unique and collective voice for the union.
The union’s primary goal is to gather more people and establish a dialogue with the CDPR board and management. Currently in a “trial period” for legal establishment, the union plans to hold a large statutory meeting in mid-December.
A screenshot from Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty
This union formation comes in the wake of three waves of layoffs at CD Projekt Red earlier this summer. In May, twenty-nine employees were laid off at The Molasses Flood studio, which CDPR had acquired in 2021. In July, CDPR laid off 30 employees from the team working on the Witcher’s Gwent card spinoff, followed by another 100 layoffs at CDPR.
The formation of this union aligns with a trend seen in the gaming industry this year, with various other unions being formed. Microsoft recognized a ZeniMax Studios union in January, and in July, employees at Sega of America voted to create the largest multi-department union in the games industry.
CD Projekt Red’s latest release, the Phantom Liberty expansion for Cyberpunk 2077, came out just a few weeks before the formation of this union. As the union continues to establish itself, it remains to be seen how CDPR will respond to its formation and whether it will voluntarily recognize the union.
[Source: Eurogamer]