The creative workers behind Dungeons and Dragons, Magic: The Gatherings, Duel Masters, and other games have come together to unionize.

On Tuesday, the workers informed their employer Wizards of the Coast, a publisher of card and role-playing games, that they planned to unionize.

They have joined a union called United Wizards of the Coast, which was first started by Magic: The Gathering workers and laborers in April, and is represented by the Communications Workers of America (CWA), a labor union that supports workers across industries in getting representation.

As is the case across industries, AI is one of the concerns. The union calls out “forced AI use” under a goal to improve worker conditions. 

In an April letter announcing its formation, United Wizards of the Coast stated, “Over the past few years, pressure has ramped up from leadership to adopt LLMs and Gen AI tools in various aspects of our work at WOTC, often over the explicit concerns of impacted employees. WOTC lacks a robust AI policy, leaving opportunities for abuse and communicating a level of disrespect for artists and other creatives. We want to establish clear guidelines around AI, emphasizing worker protections.”

Gaming and toy company Hasbro has owned Wizards of the Coast since 1999. 

Worth noting is Hasbro’s second-quarter earnings report, published in July, which showcased how important Wizards of the Coast—and, thus, its employees’ work—is to the company’s success.

Hasbro reported a 16% increase in revenue year-over-year (YOY), with a 27% growth for Wizards and Digital Gaming.

Source link