Full Breakdown
Wizards of the Coast Employees Seek Union Certification Amid Layoffs and Return-to-Office Mandate
4/27/2026, 9:28:59 PM
Unionization Drive and Core Demands
More than 100 Wizards of the Coast employees announced Monday that they will seek certification with the Communications Workers of America, forming the United Wizards of the Coast bargaining unit. The group filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board and asked the company to voluntarily recognize the union by May 1. Their demands include layoff protections, guaranteed remote-work options, safeguards on the use of generative AI, sustainable workloads, clear career-progression paths, and the removal of a policy that lets Hasbro claim ownership of employee-created material.
Background
Hasbro cut roughly 1,100 jobs across its divisions in December 2023 and Wizards of the Coast laid off about 30 staff in March 2025. In early 2026 the studio issued a return-to-office directive requiring remote workers to relocate to Washington within two years or face termination.
Key Figures & Organizing Group
Designer Rogue Kessler and senior software engineer Valentine Powell serve as primary organizers for United Wizards of the Coast, which is seeking CWA certification.
Data and Statistics
The bargaining unit will cover over 100 workers—designers, programmers, artists, producers, and engineers. The union claims a supermajority of employee support. The May 1 deadline aligns with International Workers’ Day.
Official Statements & Responses
Wizards of the Coast and Hasbro have not responded to requests for comment. The union’s letter asks management to voluntarily recognize the unit, ensure a neutral election, and withdraw the NLRB petition if recognition is granted by May 1.
Criticism & Opposition
Organizers say management has become defensive, communication has broken down, and the return-to-office policy threatens remote staff.
Verbatim Quotes
- “We have people living all over the country, and many of those folks were hired remotely in the first place. They’ve never been to Washington. They’ve never lived here, and now they’re being told all of a sudden that they need to move to Seattle, uproot their families, sell their homes and relocate here in two years or lose their job,” — Rogue Kessler, Designer, Wizards of the Coast
- “They just aren’t working with the people who are on the ground level and so unionization is our best effort to try and rectify that,” — Valentine Powell, Senior Software Engineer, Wizards of the Coast
- “When it comes to the product that we’re trying to make, I believe that AI has consistently shown worse results. It takes longer and it just sort of harms the end product.” — Valentine Powell, Senior Software Engineer
- “I really believe unionization is the only thing that’s going to save the games industry.” — Valentine Powell, Senior Software Engineer
Why It Matters
The unit would join a growing list of certified gaming unions, including the 600-member Activision QA union, giving workers a collective voice on AI use, remote-work policies, and job-security standards, and could shift bargaining power toward developers.
What’s Next
The union seeks voluntary recognition by May 1; if denied, an NLRB election will proceed. Organizers urge players to voice support on social media and petitions.
