Blizzard QA Staff Join Walkout As Raven Software Strike Continues

QA staff at Raven Software, one of the many studios that Activision has put to work on Call of Duty, will resume their walkout today and be joined by QA staff throughout Blizzard.

Last Friday, management at Raven Software began informing some contracted QA staff that their contracts would not be renewed, leading to 12 employees losing their jobs. According to staff at Raven, this constituted 30% of the team. The rest of the team will be converted to permanent staff as part of a company-wide restructure, according to Activision.

Raven employees are striking against the decision, with representatives telling press that QA workers were promised future permanent employment after reportedly being denied raises earlier this year. In a show of solidarity, QA workers from Blizzard offices in Texas, Minnesota, and California will be joining the walkout today, demanding that all QA employees be converted to permanent staff.

Activision's statement on the strike yesterday did little to quell the demands of the striking staff, with no indication that the terminated employees would be reinstated. Despite losing their jobs, those terminated are still expected to crunch in their final weeks following the release of Call of Duty: Warzone's Pacific map, which Raven Software is supporting.