Wizards of the Coast won't voluntarily recognize D&D and Studio X union drive

Wizards of the Coast will not voluntarily recognize the union drive by its Dungeons & Dragons and Studio X teams. Eligible staff will vote on joining in a secret-ballot election overseen by the National Labor Relations Board. GamesIndustry.biz, citing Wargamer, reports that the union, United Wizards of the Coast-CWA, announced the decision on Wednesday, October 14, and that a company spokesperson confirmed it. The source gives no date for the vote.

Wargamer obtained an email apparently sent to Wizards' US staff. In it, the company says it is "not neutral on the question of unionization" and that it prefers to deal with employees directly rather than through unions. The email also says eligible employees have the right to decide for themselves and that Wizards will honor the result either way. It lists subsidized medical benefits, five weeks of paid time off, annual bonuses at 200% of target in 2025, and a 20% rise in individual contributors' average base salary since 2023.

Staff on both teams said on October 6 that they intend to unionize, and asked the company to recognize the union by October 13. The union's stated aims include fair pay, promotion routes and job security, remote work protections, and better healthcare. It is also calling for an enforceable AI policy. In its published petition, workers said leadership had pushed for generative AI without regard for their teams' wishes. The union also wants ownership of what employees create in their own time, a demand it first made when the Arena team announced its union in April.

United Wizards of the Coast-CWA was formed by the Magic: The Gathering Arena team, which voted to unionize in June by 79 votes to 16. The report says Wizards and Hasbro missed the May deadline to voluntarily recognize that union.

Wizards of the Coast is part of Hasbro. Hasbro's second-quarter results show the Wizards of the Coast and Digital Gaming segment made an operating profit of $567.7 million on revenue of $1.25 billion in the first six months of 2026. Over the same period, Hasbro's Entertainment segment made an operating profit of $22.9 million, while Consumer Products posted an operating loss of $62.0 million.