In a recent turn of events, all of Keywords Studios’ unionized Quality Assurance (QA) workers found themselves facing unemployment in late September. The unfortunate development came after BioWare, the renowned developer behind titles like Dragon Age: Dreadwolf, decided not to renew its contract with Keywords Studios back in August. This abrupt decision had a ripple effect on the contracted QA workers, who were actively engaged in playtesting and quality assurance activities at BioWare’s Edmonton studio.
Union victory and subsequent layoffs
The QA workers had achieved a historic milestone in June 2022 when they voted in favor of joining the United Food and Commercial Workers Canada Union, Local No. 401 (UFCW). All 16 eligible voters unanimously supported unionization, marking a significant moment as the first unionized group within Canada’s gaming industry. However, despite their successful unionization efforts, the future took an unexpected turn.
As the QA workers were in the midst of negotiations with Keywords Studios, news broke about BioWare’s decision to cut 50 jobs within its own ranks. This development set the stage for the subsequent layoffs of the Keywords Studios employees who had been providing essential support to BioWare.
The fallout: Layoffs and reactions
According to a UFCW representative, a total of 13 people were affected by the layoffs, all of whom were dedicated to supporting BioWare in various capacities. Liz Corless, the Global Head of Marketing at Keywords Studios, confirmed the layoffs of the 13 Edmonton-based QA workers. She stated, “We can confirm that regrettably the 13 Edmonton-based staff have now left the business following the end of a fixed-term client contract.”
This abrupt departure from the studio took place on September 27th, with Keywords Studios asserting that there was no additional work available for the affected employees. It’s worth noting that Keywords Studios had several QA job postings on its website, both in Canada and internationally. However, not all of these listings were directly related to the skills and specialties possessed by the recently laid-off workers.
Legal action and severance disputes
In response to the layoffs, the UFCW took legal action by filing an employment standards complaint against Keywords Studios. The union’s aim is to address the treatment of the laid-off workers and the severance packages offered by the company. At present, the severance payments have not been disbursed, and the union is contesting the perceived inadequacy of the proposed severance terms.
This situation draws parallels to a separate legal battle involving BioWare, where some of its former employees who were laid off at the same time are currently pursuing legal action against the company for what they deem to be inadequate severance packages. It is essential to distinguish between these two distinct cases, even though they are interconnected through their association with Dragon Age: Dreadwolf.
Keywords Studios, headquartered in Ireland, has established itself as a key player in the gaming industry since its founding in 1998. Unlike traditional game developers or publishers, Keywords Studios doesn’t create or publish its games. Instead, it specializes in offering a wide range of support services such as art creation, QA testing, audio production, and more to other game development studios, including renowned names like BioWare.
While the unionized QA workers at Keywords Studios had not yet finalized a contract with the company at the time of the layoffs, they retain the opportunity to negotiate for improved severance packages. This development adds an extra layer of complexity to an already challenging situation for these workers.
