Activision Blizzard QA testers made employees with better pay after Warzone strike
Activision BlizzardActivision Blizzard have informed their staff that all of their quality assurance testers will be promoted to full-time employees with increased pay, after Warzone workers went on strike in December 2021.
Initially reported on December 4, 2021, Warzone QA workers had been promised higher pay “for months” but instead, “valuable members” were fired from the company. This led to about 40 QA testers going on strike in hopes of seeing change and justice for the people that lost their jobs.
It had been quiet from the company, with the only news being Microsoft buying Activision Blizzard for a hefty price.
However, fast forward to April 7, 2022 and AB is recognizing the work of these people and have revealed that their near 1,100 QA testers will now be full-time employees with increased pay, bonus opportunities, and benefits.
NEW: Activision Blizzard just told staff that all of its 1,100 quality assurance testers will be 1) converted from contract to full-time and 2) bumped up to at least $20/hour. A big win for QA in the wake of several worker revolts and a burgeoning union effort. Story soon
— Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier) April 7, 2022
Activision Blizzard giving QA testers increased pay
In an official statement made to Dexerto, an Activision Blizzard spokesperson said: “We have ambitious plans for the future and our quality assurance (QA) team members are a critical part of our development efforts.”
In recognition of their hard work and the key role they play, they will increase “the minimum hourly rate for these team members [QA workers] to $20 per hour or more, effective April 17.”
On top of this, all of the workers will be transitioned into “permanent full-time employees” starting on July 1.
Raven SoftwareWhile some people speculated Microsoft played a role in this, it was confirmed they had no say whatsoever.
Jason Schreier said, “Microsoft is not legally allowed to have anything to do with the company until the acquisition goes through.”
With that deal not expected to go through until 2023, the company finds it necessary to keep their QA testers on board. These people can play a huge part in success, and while games like Warzone have been plagued with issues, many believe that the QA team can help eliminate the problems.