Private Doctor's Removal Ignites Union at Candy Crush Developer

In early 2024, Activision Blizzard, under its new owner Microsoft, sent an email to employees at its Stockholm office, announcing the end of a popular company benefit. This move inadvertently sparked a union effort among the staff.

IGN has learned that over one hundred employees at the mobile game maker King’s Stockholm location formed a union club with Unionen, Sweden’s largest trade union, last fall. This group has been officially recognized and is currently in discussions with company management, aiming to secure a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) to govern their work environment, policies, and benefits moving forward.

Unions in Sweden operate differently from those in the U.S. Eligible workers can join a trade union based on their profession at any time, regardless of their company's union status. As a result, about 70% of the Swedish workforce is involved in a trade union, according to Unionen's data. These unions negotiate working conditions such as salaries and sick leave on a sector-wide basis, and individual membership can provide additional small benefits to employees.

In Sweden, forming a union club and securing a CBA adds another layer to union membership. If enough employees join the same union at a company, they can vote to establish a union board to negotiate a CBA. This agreement can secure workplace-specific benefits similar to those in U.S. union contracts, and the local union board can have representation at the top levels of company management, influencing major decisions. This approach has been adopted at King Stockholm, following a trend seen at other Swedish gaming companies like Paradox Interactive and, more recently, Avalanche Studios.

The Doctor Is Out

I spoke with Kajsa Sima Falck, an engineering manager at King in Stockholm and a board member of King Stockholm’s Unionen chapter. She explained that prior to 2024, union discussions at the company were minimal. There was a Slack channel dedicated to union discussions, but it was largely inactive, with only around nine or ten members.

However, in early January, Activision Blizzard employees in Stockholm received an email from management with distressing news. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Stockholm office had been provided with a unique benefit: a free, private doctor for employees and their families. This doctor, rumored to have been hand-picked by then-CEO Bobby Kotick, became highly valued among the staff. Falck described her as highly responsive, supportive during the pandemic, and empathetic towards employees' needs for sick leave or mental health support. Many staff members relied on her for their healthcare needs.

The decision to remove this benefit shortly after Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard was a significant blow. Employees were given just one week's notice, forcing them to quickly find alternative healthcare solutions.

Employees were offered private health insurance as a replacement, but Falck noted that it didn't match the personal touch of the previous arrangement. “You have to go through a portal and speak to a nurse to get an appointment, which isn’t the same as having a dedicated doctor who cares for you and supports you when you're feeling burnt out,” she said.

The sudden change led to widespread discussion among employees, with many expressing their concerns on the Stockholm general Slack channel. “We had no bargaining power,” Falck said. “If we had a CBA, we might have been able to negotiate with our employer.”

With no other options, Falck suggested reviving the union Slack channel, which quickly gained interest, reaching 217 members by the time we spoke. Over the next few months, the group organized and contacted Unionen representatives. In October 2024, they officially voted to form a union club and establish a union board at King Stockholm. IGN reached out to Microsoft and Activision Blizzard King for comment but did not receive a response.

No Gods, Only King

Since its formation, the King union has met with Activision Blizzard HR to discuss future communications. Falck described their response as “neutral,” which aligns with the legal protections for unions in Sweden. Microsoft has also publicly committed to a “neutral approach” toward unions, and reports from other newly-formed unions within the company suggest they are adhering to this stance globally.

Falck and her colleagues understand that it's too late to restore the private doctor benefit, but they aim to secure a CBA to protect other valued benefits from similar abrupt changes. “It comes down to protecting our current benefits with agreements, ensuring that changes can't be made without our influence and negotiation,” she said. “We have some unique benefits, not just in the game industry but in Sweden as a whole, like our bonus and other perks from Microsoft. We want to ensure these are protected so that if changes are proposed, we can at least try to fight them or secure them for the future.”

Other critical issues Falck mentioned include salary and information transparency, as well as protection and transparency around company reorganizations and layoffs. Most importantly, she and her colleagues want to influence their workplace positively. As Unionen Stockholm organizer Timo Rybak explained, “The whole idea of unionizing in Sweden is based on both parties having influence and discussing matters at the table. It’s about employees helping their employer understand the everyday work, which is impossible for any company president or HR representative to grasp fully without being a game developer themselves. Giving all employees a say and a seat at the table is a positive step.”

Rybak also noted that Swedish labor law still favors employers, but unionizing helps employees learn and protect their rights, especially in industries like game development and IT, which have a large number of immigrant workers.

Falck emphasized that the union has already benefited from sharing information about employee rights. Many European and American game developers who have joined King over the years are often unaware of their entitlements. Through organizing, they've been able to educate each other and advocate for themselves more effectively, both individually and collectively.

For Falck and her colleagues, forming a union club at King started as a reaction to an unpopular change, but its ultimate goal is to protect the aspects of their job they deeply value. “It's a completely different world and company that we're getting used to. So we want to protect what is King, what is the culture, what are the benefits,” she concluded.