Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 developers protest over office working policy

Activision quality assurance staff who worked on the just-released Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 staged a protest against the company’s return-to-work policy.

Staff at Activision’s quality assurance studio in Eden Prarie, Minnesota, were told to return to the office full-time back in January, after years of remote or hybrid working. At the time, the move was criticised by the company’s biggest union as a “soft layoff”. Nine months later, the row over this policy’s effects rumbles on.

Last Friday, Eden Prarie staff members took protest action backed by the Communications Workers of America (CWA), which claimed in a statement that Call of Duty publisher Activision was “insisting workers must work in the office – even those with serious medical conditions and doctor’s recommendations to work from home”.

Ahead of the protest, Activision workers group ABetterABK issued a statement saying the “unequal policy” had “unquestionably harmed disabled employees and employees in need of work from home accomodations”, who it claims have been unfairly refused exception from return-to-office work in the months since the policy’s introduction.

So why protest now? Well, last Friday’s Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 launch was an attention-grabbing date, for one. ABetterABK’s statement also references employees being “disrespected” by a recent company email discussing this October’s National Disability Employment Awareness Month.

“[The email] depicted a disabled person working from home while our coworkers in need are not allowed this essential tool for equal accessibility,” the statement claimed. “[Activison] has been championing DE&I while they continually fail us.”

Images of the protest show around 30 staff holding CWA signs. The walkout also attracted the attention of local media.

“We work on Call of Duty, we were part of the QA team that worked on Black Ops 6 that just released today,” a striking staff member and ABetterABK union steward told Fox 9.

“We have worked on Modern Warfare 2 which was the most profitable game the company ever released – and that was done remotely.”

In a statement to Eurogamer on the protest, an Activision spokesperson told me that the company acknowledged returning to offices had been “an adjustment for some” and that discussions over specific employee’s needs were still “ongoing”, the best part of a year since the policy was first announced.

“We respect our employees’ rights to express their point of view,” an Activision spokesperson told Eurogamer. “We understand that returning to the office has been an adjustment for some. We engage in an interactive process with employees who request accommodations. This is an ongoing conversation at the bargaining table, and we will continue to discuss our respective interests in that forum.”