Activision Blizzard Is Converting 1,100 QA Staff To Full-Time And Raising Base Wages
Changes have been announced for some workers at Activision Publishing and Blizzard that will see nearly 1,100 US-based temporary QA workers converted to full time. On top of this, the publisher is raising its minimum hourly rates for QA positions to $20/hour.
As a result of the conversions, Activision Publishing's full-time staff will grow by 25%. Before this, Activision Publishing announced that 500 temporary QA workers were converted to full-time.
The announcement of these changes comes after workers went on strike and raised various concerns and other labor issues in the past year. Another element that could be at play here are the ongoing unionization efforts at the company, and it's unclear what impact--if any--this might have on that.
Microsoft is in the process of acquiring Activision Blizzard, but it is understood that the company would have no say in these matters until the deal closes in 2023, as it's expected to. Recently, a group of US Senators--including Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren--said they were «deeply concerned» about Microsoft's proposed buyout.
The FTC is reportedly looking into Activision Blizzard's labor issues, in particular, as part of its probe into the Microsoft/Activision Blizzard deal. Whether or not these newly announced changes are in response to the FTC's probe, however, is unknown.
ABK Workers Alliance, the group that advocates for workers at Activision Blizzard King, has not reacted or responded specifically to this news. However, founder Jessica Gonzalez retweeted a tweet calling these changes a «big win» for workers at Activision and Blizzard.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Activision said it is «refining how our teams work together to develop our games and deliver the best
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