Former Dragon Age: Dreadwolf Dev Says "Industry Needs More Union Action"

08.11.2023 - 14:05 / thegamer.com / Raven Software

On Tuesday, former Keywords Studios QA testers based in Edmonton, who worked on Dragon Age: Dreadwolf, picketed in front of developer BioWare Edmonton, despite EA's attempts to block the demonstration.

They were the first unionised developer in Canada, but unfortunately, they were laid off by Keywords Studios last month, supposedly because "there is no more work available". This is despite the studio still listing QA job postings on its website within Canada, and after reportedly having the laid-off staff train their own replacements.

The contract ending with BioWare was unfortunate, but as KWS workers we understand contacts come and go. However, we put the onus on Keywords to continue to supply us with work. The fact is Keywords still staffs non-unionised workers on projects in Alberta but maintains us union workers are unable to do this work. We may never know if BioWare had an end in our contract end but regardless neither party has said why the contract couldn't come to an agreement.

The goal of the picket was to get Keyword Studios to hire the devs back and renegotiate the original contract with BioWare, arguing that the layoff was a "union-busting tactic".

EA argued that, because they were remote workers, they should take their protests elsewhere, even suggesting they hold them outside of their own homes. It told Kotaku that the protests were "misguided", stating, "We hope that Keywords and the union are able to resolve their differences, but ultimately BioWare has no role in that process."

However, former employee and union spokesperson James Russwurm argues that the protests are necessary to bring about a healthier work environment for developers, "The industry does need more union action. These large studios aren't going to stop their practices because we asked nicely. Historically, real labour change has come about from worker action."

The video game industry only got its first major union last year with Raven Software.

While EA stated that BioWare has no role in whether former KWS devs are reinstated, Russwurm told us, "We are very open to working again with BioWare and Electronic Arts. If Keywords could reach a working arrangement with them, we would be happy to staff those positions."

It's still unclear why EA did not renew the contract as Dragon Age: Dreadwolf will no doubt be an incredibly ambitious game, continuing a beloved RPG franchise. It has also undergone several internal delays, and BioWare itself has laid off staff internally, despite the game still being unfinished. EA did, however, claim that the choice had nothing to do with the staff unionising.

As for why the devs at Keywords Studios Edmonton unionised in the first place, Russwurm tells us, "Our initial unionisation was