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Call of Duty workers vote to unionize in industry first

By Tomas Franzese Published May 23, 2022

Quality assurance (QA) testers at Activision Blizzard subsidiary Raven Software have formed a union after an official vote. The vote was 19-3 in favor of formation, creating the first union of its kind at a AAA developer.

Digital Trends observed the Call of Duty: Warzone developer’s ballot count digitally: 28 people were eligible to vote, although only 24 voted. Two votes were challenged and made invalid. Still, 19-3 was enough to ensure the vote was in favor of unionization.

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This vote comes more than 10 months after Activision Blizzard’s workplace issues were first exposed and five months after Raven Software abruptly laid off several Raven Software QA testers after promising them an increase in wages. That latter event caused these QA testers to walk out and eventually try to unionize. While Activision Blizzard did not voluntarily recognize the Game Workers Alliance (CWA), the National Labor Relations Board was on the side of the QA testers and allowed them to hold this vote, which will force Activision to recognize CWA.

GWA

Activision has frequently attempted to stop the formation of this union, dispersing the QA developers throughout different departments at Raven and filing two appeals to the National Labor Relations Board, but was unable to stop these workers from unionizing. This is an unprecedented, significant win for North American game developers at AAA studios looking to unionize.

Still, this saga is far from over. First off, the union still has to fully establish and figure out how it will work and bargain within Raven Software. Activision Blizzard may also continue to face legal scrutiny as FTC investigates its acquisition by Microsoft, the National Labor Relations Board prepares to issue a complaint about Activision Blizzard allegedly illegally threatening staff, and Jessica Gonzalez appeals the settlement between Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Activision Blizzard.

Regardless, this is a massive first step for game industry unionization, not just at Activision Blizzard’s studios but at all North American game developers and publishers of all sizes.

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A former Gaming Staff Writer at Digital Trends, Tomas Franzese now reports on and reviews the latest releases and exciting…

Gaming

Black Ops 6 might be the biggest Call of Duty release ever

Soldiers near a train in Black Ops 6.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is on track to be the most successful Call of Duty release in the franchise's history thanks to a record-breaking launch, according to Activision and Microsoft.

The companies revealed that Black Ops 6 had the biggest three-day opening for the series by many metrics. It had the most players, most hours played, and the most total matches, according to a post on X (formerly Twitter). The game also got a shout-out during Microsoft's quarterly earnings call on Wednesday.

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Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Zombies: tips and tricks for beginners

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After the backlash surrounding the Zombies mode in Modern Warfare 3, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 has returned to the round-based roots we all know and love. Well, the structure might be familiar, but this mode has more than its fair share of new tricks that will see you getting swarmed in seconds if you can't learn to adapt. If you're familiar with how Call of Duty handles its Zombies mode, you will know that there's a lot more you need to know besides just shooting zombies if you want to make it to the later rounds. If you want to survive as long as possible, we have the key tips and tricks to withstand the zombie horde in Black Ops 6.
The basics still apply

There are a few tips from past Zombies games that will serve you well here in Black Ops 6 that are worth a quick reminder. Starting off with the need to conserve ammo in the early game. Zombies are weakest in the first handful of rounds, but ammo is incredibly scarce. You can't count on getting more when you need it, so save as much as possible and try to melee as many zombies as possible. Only shoot if you get swarmed, need to save a teammate, or when a boss or elite shows up.

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The best Wildcards in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6

Kill Order gameplay in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.

The concept of a Wildcard might sound like a risky endeavor in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, but this part of your loadout isn't random at all. We haven't seen this system since Cold War, and even those who remember it from that game will need to learn all the new cards there are in Black Ops 6. You can only equip a single Wildcard on your loadout, but they are powerful enough to completely redefine your playstyle. So far, there are only six to unlock while grinding through the levels with your friends, but picking just one is still a tough choice, especially if you want to use a permanent unlock on one after hitting Prestige. We've ranked all the Wildcards in Black Ops 6 so you can always have the winning hand.
All Black Ops 6 Wildcards, ranked

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Perk Greed - Level 54
The last Wildcard you unlock is easily the most powerful. Perk Greed lets you unlock a fourth Perk to your loadout instead of being limited to three, which can borderline break the game if you choose the right set of Perks. It is also the most versatile of the Wildcards since it gives you the most options to play with instead of a specific bonus you may not find useful. It can also more easily unlock the special bonus buff you get for equipping three Perks from the same category.
Gunfighter - Level 33
Right in the middle of the unlock list, Gunfighter is one Wildcard you could easily make a case for over Perk Greed in some situations. This one increases your attachment points for your primary weapon by three. If you're rocking a top-tier weapon already, this Wildcard can let you tweak its stats even higher. We rank it second because it only applies to one weapon and thus is a bit more limiting.
Overkill - Level 24
For such an early Wildcard, Overkill is quite a powerful choice. This card lets you equip any weapon (except melee weapons) in your Primary and Secondary slots instead of the ones typically reserved for each. That means you can build a loadout with two Primary weapons and be far more versatile on the battlefield. Instead of having to trade off range, damage, rate of fire, mobility, or any other aspect of your game, you can cover almost all your bases by picking two Primary weapons that cover each other's weaknesses.
Prepper - Level 45
Field upgrades are powerful, don't get us wrong, but having two instead of one isn't always that much of a game-changer. It's a bit less useful than Gunfighter only because field upgrades are more situational and require more attention to use to their full potential. If that's you, then this is a great choice.
Danger Close - Level 38
Who doesn't want another grenade, Molotov, or combat axe? Is getting a second Lethal worth the Wildcard slot, though? Not in our opinion. Most of the time, Lethals are used in desperation or as a way to deny enemy movement for a time, and even then, they are risky because of how vulnerable you are while using them.
Tactical Expert - Level 15
The first Wildcard you get is better than nothing, but only just. It's exactly like Danger Close, only you can hold two Tacticals instead of Lethals. This is, by nature, a little worse since Tacticals don't have the ability to kill an enemy (unless you get super lucky and you directly hit an enemy with one who is on low HP). You can get some use out of them, but you're better off upgrading as soon as you have another option.