COVID-19 pandemic exemplifies a “huge disparity of job security” in the industry, says Game Workers Unite

Game Workers Unite has published a statement regarding the reaction of the video game industry to the coronavirus pandemic, and said that the crisis has illuminated a “huge disparity of job security.” (via MCV/Develop).

Game Workers Unite International statement on the COVID-19 crisis pic.twitter.com/oiht6zqfYD

— Game Workers Unite ✊ ✊ ✊ (@GameWorkers) March 22, 2020

Developers and publishers have been taking measures to reduce the risk of their employees contracting coronavirus, such as cancelling events and working from home while supporting the game. Bungie, Electronic Arts, Mojang, Niantic, Nintendo, and Rockstar Games are among these companies, but, the impacts of the pandemic are not distributed equally. In its statement, Game Workers Unite alleges that though “most devs and artists are safe,” some employees are “going through hell,” suffering layoffs and forced unpaid leave.

“There’s a huge disparity of job security between different roles, between different parts of the world,” explained the organisation. “The people that are making the games’ production and release happen are going through hell right now—QA testers, events organisers, hard copy packaging and retail staff, workers maintaining servers or shipping of the games, let alone the incredible carers of our office spaces—cleaners, caterers etc. We are hearing stories of layoffs and forced unpaid leave in these sectors and want to encourage everyone to use their voices to call out the companies and regions that are doing this.”

It acknowledges that games and gaming are a very important source of community and entertainment in uncertain circumstances such as this current crisis. Once the global situation has been bettered, “nothing will be the same—for all workers we must demand: flexible working hours, universal health service for all, a fair sick pay, rent freezes and a more sustainable way of making games and games’ hardware too.”