Survey Finds Over Four-Fifths of U.S. Game Developers Want Unions

A comprehensive industry poll conducted alongside major developer events indicates that support for collective bargaining among U.S. game makers is now the dominant sentiment. Roughly eight in ten U.S. respondents signaled pro-union views, but only a small fraction belong to organized labor today, leaving a large gap between approval and actual membership. The survey gathered responses from over 2,300 professionals, capturing a cross-section of roles and salary bands; interest in joining a union was reported by a clear majority. Support skews toward younger staff, those earning below the higher salary tiers, and people who have experienced recent layoffs — groups that tend to prioritize workplace protections and predictable terms. People in leadership positions still show majority sympathy, but their answers are more divided and include a notably higher share of opposition and uncertainty. Current union representation is split between industry-wide unions and company-specific arrangements, with the former accounting for most enrolled members. The disparity between widespread approval and low membership suggests that logistical, legal, or cultural barriers remain to converting sentiment into formal organization. For studios, the trend foreshadows rising pressure to engage with organizing campaigns and to revise employment practices preemptively. For developers, a surge in organizing could change compensation negotiation dynamics, contract structures, and career mobility norms in the medium term. Observers should expect targeted union drives at mid-sized and large studios where concentration of sympathetic workers and recent layoffs create fertile conditions. Policymakers and industry groups will likely monitor these shifts closely, as outcomes could influence recruitment, retention, and investor assessments of studio governance risk. In short, the survey marks a turning point in worker sentiment: strong intent and growing interest without a proportional increase in membership, leaving the next year critical for whether sentiment translates into durable organizing gains.