North America gets its first video game studio union Eurogamer.net If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy. North America gets its first video game studio union History in the making. News by Ishraq Subhan Reporter Updated on 16 Dec 2021 15 comments Workers at Vodeo Games have unionised, creating North America's first ever official video game studio union. Vodeo Workers United consists of roughly 13 full-time employees and contractors working remotely across the US and Canada, and has been voluntarily recognised by Vodeo's management. In an interview with Polygon, Vodeo designer Carolyn Jong explained the motivations behind the step: "We were really inspired by what a lot of our colleagues were doing in the game industry and the tech industry and beyond - Voltage Organized Workers, United Paizo Workers ... there was a lot going on". "It felt like a natural next step for us to be talking about, 'Hey, maybe we should be unionising,' and help set a positive precedent for the digital games industry as well." Vodeo, founded by Threes creator Asher Vollmer, released its first game, Beast Breaker, back in February. Vodeo game director Chris Floyd said the studio's workers wanted to set an example to workers in other studios: "We're looking at the wider industry, and all of us were aware of how necessary these kinds of steps are for our industry." Unionisation has become a salient issue in the industry, particularly as growing reports of a toxic workplace culture and mass layoffs at Activision Blizzard's studios have led to a push for unionisation there. The significance of the region's first video game studio union then cannot be understated, especially since triple-A publishers like Activision have made moves which workers say actively discouraged unionisation. Become a Eurogamer subscriber and get your first month for £1 Get your first month for £1 (normally £3.99) when you buy a Standard Eurogamer subscription. Enjoy ad-free browsing, merch discounts, our monthly letter from the editor, and show your support with a supporter-exclusive comment flair! Support us View supporter archive More News Google announces cloud gaming Chromebooks less than a fortnight after Stadia shutdown GeForce Now preinstalled. 4 Atari will hold RollerCoaster Tycoon rights for another decade Ups and downs. 7 Lady Dimitrescu will be a tad smaller in Resident Evil Village's Mercenaries DLC Level the playing field. 1 Overwatch 2 suffers another DDoS attack and character roster bugs Mei Mei. 13 Latest Articles Digital Foundry Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090: a new level in graphics performance The Digital Foundry video review - and how the new GPU champion delivers for 4K 120fps gaming. Feature Evercore Heroes wants to wind people up the right way "There's less rage at them, because they didn't end your fun." Google announces cloud gaming Chromebooks less than a fortnight after Stadia shutdown GeForce Now preinstalled. 4 Genshin Impact Path of Gleaming Jade dates, login event rewards Including other anniversary rewards and how to claim them. Supporters Only Premium only Off Topic: Take a minute to appreciate Cookin' with Coolio's incredible scallops recipe. What a great book. Premium only Off Topic: Reading City of Glass in comic form "Where exactly am I going?" Premium only Off Topic: Il Buco is a transporting film about a really big hole Underlands. Off-Topic Netflix handled Sandman brilliantly It was Dreamy. 9 Buy things with globes on them And other lovely Eurogamer merch in our official store! Explore our store