Before Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 launches next week, unionized Activision testers have voted to authorize a strike.

Almost 600 Call of Duty Quality Assurance Testers Authorise a Strike One Week Before Modern Warfare 4 Launch

Background: Activision Quality Assurance United-CWA was formed in March 2024. The union is made up of almost 600 quality assurance workers at Activision, and it has said it will strike if conditions at the publisher do not change.

Development: The bargaining process has lasted over two years. Emily Danko, a bargaining committee member and quality assurance functional tester, said in a press release cited by Kotaku that the committee has made responsible moves while the company continues to stall on wages, accommodations, and worker protections. She said meaningful progress has been difficult despite efforts to bargain in good faith, leaving key issues unresolved. She added that members remain united, continue to mobilize, and are exploring every option to secure a fair contract. Among the protections raised are concerns over AI usage and contract workers.

Company response: An Activision spokesperson told Kotaku that Activision has been working in good faith with the union for the Central quality assurance team and has made meaningful progress on a number of issues. The company said its goal is a fair first contract that supports its quality assurance team members and the long-term success of the business. It said it remains committed to open dialogue and has offered to meet again on October 21 and 22. It also said it respects employees' right to engage in protected activity, including the right to strike.

Latest progress: The vote to authorise a strike came one week ahead of the launch of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, the latest release in the rebooted line of Modern Warfare Games. The source notes that the series is still part of the ongoing BDS-called boycott against Microsoft over its dealings with the Israeli military. Another tester told Kotaku that their offices are at work every day to make progress on Modern Warfare 4, but that they expect fair pay, fair treatment, and the fair contract they have spent over two years bargaining for. The worker said they are forced to come into work every day without fair accommodations and continue to be under constant threat of sweeping layoffs without meaningful protections. They added that repeated requests to meet at the table have produced delays and unrealistic counters.

Recent layoffs: The strike authorization vote also came less than a month after Xbox laid off more staff as part of wider cuts, with more still to come. The source presents that layoff pattern as another pressure bearing on unionised testers.

Current stage: The union has voted to authorise a strike, while Activision has offered meetings on October 21 and 22. The unresolved issues named in the source are wages, accommodations, worker protections, AI usage, and contract workers. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 is one week from launch, and the bargaining dispute remains the latest development in Activision's relationship with its quality assurance workforce.