Microsoft Assistant Studio Double fine According to a recent petition filed with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), the union is doing so. After announcing the petition, which was filed on Thursday, May 7, Double Fine said it was working with the Communication Workers of America (CWA) to secure union representation.
Double Fine was founded in July 2000 by game designer Tim Shaffer after his departure from LucasArts. Since its creation, Double Fine has produced a variety of iconic and eclectic games for players to enjoy, including psychologists, Cruel storyand broken age. Double Fine was acquired by Microsoft in a standalone purchase in 2019. Since joining the Xbox umbrella, Double Fine has released additional titles for multiple platforms, including Psychonaut 2 and the protector.
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Double Fine announced Union Election Petition
After the launch of its latest game, a multiplayer brawler title is called kilnDouble Fine has revealed that it has taken a major step to help secure its future amid troubled times for the gaming industry. As first reported by Aftermath, Double Fine said the new union, formed in collaboration with the CWA, will include 42 part-time and full-time members. The NLRB petition was filed with the NLRB's regional chapter in San Francisco, where the double penalty also exists. Double Fine said it is seeking a labor union election along with a voluntary recognition request from Microsoft. In a statement following the petition, the CWA said, “On May 7, workers at Microsoft Studios Double Fine Productions announced their decision to form a union with the CWA to preserve and expand the studio's commitments to creative excellence, diversity and inclusion, and quality of life for workers.”
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As of this writing, the case remains open. If its efforts prove successful, Double Fine will join other companies under the Microsoft umbrella that have successfully merged. Furthermore, Double Fine will also be the first union to be formed under the leadership of new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma, who will take over after the retirement of Phil Spencer in February 2026. Sharma has added new leaders to help manage the Xbox brand, four of whom she previously worked with during her time on Microsoft's CoreAI team. Sharma also announced that Copilot will end development on Xbox consoles and mobile devices, as they are not aligned with the direction Xbox is going.
Microsoft's history with unions may support double fines
Since Microsoft's purchase of ZeniMax and Activision Blizzard, many development teams from studios such as Raven Software have formed their own labor unions, working with the CWA. In August 2025, the Diablo The development team voted to form a wall-to-wall union with all of its members, counting more than 450 employees on Blizzard's Team 3 under contract. The Diablo After successful formation of Developer Association World of Warcraft Gamemaker Guild in 2024. The World of Warcraft The union has more than 500 employees in its California and Massachusetts offices.
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Despite the expiration of Microsoft's previous labor union neutrality agreement, the CWA said Microsoft has agreed to maintain its longstanding neutrality stance regarding Double Fine's unionization efforts. However, it remains to be seen when all the relevant parties will sit at the negotiating table.
