Hundreds of unionized video game workers took to the streets outside Xbox studios this week, staging 'Save Our Devs' rallies in Austin, Dallas, Seattle, Rockville, Hunt Valley, Montreal, and Minneapolis to push back against Microsoft's latest wave of cuts. The Communications Workers of America (CWA) organized the actions on August 19, 2026, calling out what they describe as corporate greed and demanding fair first contracts for workers at the company's gaming studios. This marks the second round of coordinated protests following similar events in July, with CWA members and allies highlighting the human toll of repeated layoffs that have hit hundreds of unionized developers.
Xbox CEO Asha Sharma announced in July that the division would eliminate approximately 3,200 roles by the end of the current fiscal year, starting with 1,600 immediate cuts affecting studios like Obsidian, id Software, and ZeniMax Online Studios. Additional moves included divesting studios such as Double Fine, Undead Labs, Ninja Theory, and Compulsion Games. The CWA has filed legal action against Microsoft, alleging mishandling of the layoffs and violations of bargaining obligations, while Microsoft states it has engaged in effects bargaining and remains committed to supporting impacted staff.
Laid-off workers shared stark personal accounts in a CWA press release. John Roberts, former id Software Principal Engine Programmer and CWA Local 6215 member, stated: 'Each of the 1,600 people from July's layoffs have their own unique tale, and every developer still employed at an Xbox studio lives in anxious fear, waiting to discover if they are one of the next 1600 stories.' Stephanie Zachariadis, former Bethesda Game Studios quest designer and CWA Local 2108 member, added that Bethesda has lost so much veteran talent: 'When I first started working at Bethesda Game Studios, I was in awe... Now? The legends who filled those trophy cases are, for the most part, gone, laid off, or driven away.' These voices underscore the broader pattern of instability in Microsoft's gaming division, where workers report a climate of fear amid multiple rounds of cuts in recent years.
