Dark Horse Comics is launching a new line of all-ages Star Wars original graphic novels called Hyperspace Stories, which contain standalone tales of some of the best-loved and most well known characters in the Star Wars Galaxy.
All unionized Dragon Age: Dreadwolf QA workers have been laid off
04.10.2023 - 21:49 / polygon.com
All of Keywords Studios’ unionized QA workers were laid off from the studio in late September after Dragon Age: Dreadwolf developer BioWare declined to continue its contract in August.
The QA workers, who were contracted to assist with playtesting and quality assurance at BioWare Edmonton, won their union vote in June 2022. All 16 eligible voters said “yes” to joining United Food and Commercial Workers Canada Union, Local No. 401. It was a historic vote, making the group the first games industry union in Canada. Keywords Studios workers were in bargaining with the company when they were laid off following the news of 50 job cuts at BioWare itself.
A UFCW representative told Polygon that 13 people were laid off — everyone supporting BioWare. Liz Corless, Keywords Studios’ global head of marketing, confirmed that 13 Edmonton-based QA workers were laid off.
“We can confirm that regrettably the 13 Edmonton-based staff have now left the business following the end of a fixed term client contract,” Corless wrote in an email.
The group of workers were laid off on Sept. 27. Corless added that Keywords Studios has “taken the position there is no more work available.” (Keywords Studios has several QA job postings listed on its website, in Canada and across the world. Many, but not all of these listings, are related to language localization and require specialties that the laid-off workers may not have.)
Russwurm said the union filed an employment standards complaint against Keywords Studios this week. He added that Keywords Studios offered “minimal severance,” which the union is disputing. Severance has not yet been paid out, he said. (Several BioWare employees laid off at that time are currently suing the company for “adequate severance.” These are two separate issues with two separate companies, however, despite being linked to Dragon Age: Dreadwolf.)
Though the unionized QA workers did not yet have a contract with Keywords Studios, they can attempt to negotiate better severance pay.
Keywords Studios is headquartered in Ireland but has more than 20 worldwide offices. The studio was founded in 1998, and does not publish or develop its own games — instead, it provides art, QA, audio, and other development support for other studios, like BioWare.
The website gametalkz.com is an aggregator of news from open sources. The source is indicated at the beginning and at the end of the announcement. You can send a complaint on the news if you find it unreliable.
Top Authors
Popular Topics
pcmag.com
12.10.2023 / 01:59
T-Mobile May Move You Off Your Current Plan: Here’s How to Stop It
The self-styled Un-Carrier now looks a little more carrier-ish: T-Mobile will soon move some customers on older plans, including two that it still sells, to newer and more expensive plans unless customers call to veto the rate switch.
rockpapershotgun.com
11.10.2023 / 20:25
Stardew Valley concert will take its delightful soundtrack on a world tour next year
Video game concerts are some of my favourite things in the world. Final Fantasy’s Distant Worlds, the NieR:Orchestra concerts, the Sonic Symphony - whatever particular series is your personal earworm, hearing music you’ve spent dozens or hours of hours listening to performed by a live orchestra can be incredibly moving and transformative. For those who feel that kind of connection with Stardew Valley, the engrossing farming-slash-romance-slash-dungeon-crawling sim is taking its OST on the road next year.
techradar.com
11.10.2023 / 12:15
Real-life Stardew Valley concert tour, Festival of Seasons, kicks off globally next year
It’s official — you’ll soon be able to experience the music of Stardew Valley in live orchestral form, as a real-life concert tour is set to kick off next year across the globe.
pcgamer.com
10.10.2023 / 22:11
Stardew Valley's beloved soundtrack is going on an international concert tour in the 'Festival of Seasons'
If you just can't get enough Stardew Valley in your life, here's a different way to indulge in its unrelenting life sim coziness: The Stardew Valley «Festival of Seasons» concert series, an international musical tour featuring a selection of music from the game performed by a chamber orchestra.
rockpapershotgun.com
06.10.2023 / 21:05
Canada's first ever unionised game staff, working on Dragon Age: Dreadwolf, have all been fired
Just last year, QA contractors working on Dragon Age: Dreadwolf voted unanimously to become Canada’s first-ever video game industry union. Now, sadly, the Keyword Studios employees working on the RPG have all been laid off after developer BioWare decided not to renew their contract.
gameranx.com
05.10.2023 / 16:21
Unionized QA Workers Working On Dragon Age Dreadwolf Laid Off
Right now in the world, unions are either rising up or striking to get better deals, wages, and lives for their members, and that’s a good thing despite the industries they’re “hurting.” Unions have long been around to protect the “working man” and to ensure they are safe and well-fed, and if that means striking, then so be it. One of the few industries that doesn’t have an overall union is the video game industry. That’s partially understandable due to game developers and companies’ “spread out” nature. But the company behind Dragon Age Dreadwolf made a pretty clear message to those within a union by firing a bunch of them!
techradar.com
05.10.2023 / 13:53
13 unionized Dragon Age: Dreadwolf QA testers have been laid off
Every unionized Dragon Age: Dreadwolf quality assurance (QA) tester has been laid off.
gamesradar.com
05.10.2023 / 11:05
Dragon Age Dreadwolf dev lays off all unionized QA workers
All unionized Dragon Age Dreadwolf QA testers have been laid off.
thegamer.com
05.10.2023 / 10:57
Dragon Age: Dreadwolf's Unionised Devs Have Been Laid Off
Last year, all 16 of the QA devs at Keywords Studios Edmonton held a unanimous and historic vote to become the first games industry union in Canada. Unfortunately, just over one year later, they were laid off.
pcgamesinsider.biz
05.10.2023 / 10:45
Unionised Keywords BioWare workers have been laid off
Games services company Keywords Studios has made all of the unionised quality assurance staff working at BioWare redundant.
eurogamer.net
05.10.2023 / 09:45
All Dragon Age QA staff who formed union laid off
The team of bug-fixing quality assurance (QA) staff who unionised while working on Dragon Age: Dreadwolf have all been laid off.