WotC Won’t Recognize D&D Union, But Says It Will Respect Upcoming Vote

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Last week, Wizards of the Coast employees working on Dungeons & Dragons, D&D Beyond, Magic: The Gathering and Studio X (the division overseeing the Duel Masters collectible card game) announced plans to form a union connected with United Wizards of the Coast. The latter is a relatively new organization formed in June 2026 by Magic: The Gathering Arena staff as part of the Communications Workers of America (CWA).

Among the list of employee demands was fair wages, job security, AI protections and full ownership of creative work produced outside of company hours. Workers also requested that Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast management voluntarily recognize the union by October 13, 2026.

That deadline has now come and gone, with WotC management declining to recognize the union. However, in an email provided to Wargamer that was sent to WotC employees, the leadership team did indicate that they would respect the voting results and provided several data points against unionization.

Below, we look at why the D&D team made the decision, how Wizards of the Coast leadership is responding and what it means for the future of the game.

What is United Wizards of the Coast?

United Wizards of the Coast is an organized labor coalition created by workers at Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast from properties including Dungeons & Dragons, Magic: The Gathering and Duel Masters and formed under the banner of the Communications Workers of America (CWA). The organization’s primary focus is on securing worker protections and improving conditions (including salary and work-life balance).

As an organization, United Wizards of the Coast is relatively new, with the Magic: The Gathering Arena digital team having first announced plans to unionize in late April 2026.

Wizards of the Coast itself quickly pushed back against the organization and initially refused to recognize the organization. They also hired Fisher Phillips, a prominent law firm that specializes in union avoidance. Then WotC President John Hight and management also launched an aggressive internal campaign to dissuade staff from voting yes. This included sending daily anti-union emails and physical letters to employees’ homes.

Despite WotC leadership’s pressure, however, United Wizards of the Coast successfully formed in June 2026 after an employee vote was held under the guidance of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).

Why is the Dungeons & Dragons team unionizing?

In an official press release, the Dungeons & Dragons, D&D Beyond, Magic: The Gathering and Studio X teams specifically called out:

• Fair Compensation: Wages that accurately reflect their labor alongside clearly defined career progression paths.
• Job Security: Stronger safeguards against corporate downsizing and widespread industry volatility.
• Healthcare Access: Reliable, easily accessible medical coverage for workers and their families.
• Sustainable Workloads: Healthy, balanced practices that support sustainable remote and hybrid working arrangements.
• AI Protections: Clear guardrails and defenses against the commercial encroachment of artificial intelligence.
• Creative Freedom: Full personal ownership and rights over independent work created outside of office hours.

How has Wizards of the Coast responded?

On a social media post on the official United Wizards of the Coast Bluesky account, they noted that “Wizards informed us that it doesn’t intend to voluntarily recognize the D&D or Studio X units of our union ahead of a vote.” As a result, the matter will now be referred to the National Labor Relations Board, leading to a secret ballot in which all staff will vote to decide whether or not to adopt the union.

In an email obtained by Wargamer that was circulated to WotC stafff, the leadership team wrote that it is fundamentally opposed to the potential writing “we are best able to keep building great games and a great place to work by working directly with employees, not through unions. In this regard, Wizards is not neutral on the question of unionization.” They also added that “in the end, we will respect the results of the election, no matter what our employees choose”

The email also lists achievements and benefits at the company, including:

• Average base salary at Wizards is up 20% since 2023
• Annual bonuses including 200% of target in 2025
• Five weeks of paid time off in addition to paid company break weeks and holidays
• Heavily subsidized comprehensive medical benefits
• Free product

It’s not clear, however, if this pushback is likely to have an impact on voting.

How will this impact D&D?

With the Dungeons & Dragons team joining United Wizards of the Coast, there could be several larger impacts on the game and brand:

• Less turnover: In recent years, Wizards of the Coast has laid off key members of the D&D team, including videographer Todd Kenreck and most recently LaTia Jacquise. These types of layoffs (which were generally poorly received by the D&D fan community) would potentially not be as commonplace.
• Guarding against AI: WotC has experienced significant online backlist in the wake of accusations of using AI in artwork (resulting in a new AI policy), but the union is looking for additional protections.
• Protections for outside work: This has been a particularly big sticking point for D&D designers and artists, as under their current contracts they are prohibited from producing any outside work, with WotC potentially even claiming ownership of anything created by employees (even if it’s made during their own personal time).

It’s also worth noting that if there is any significant conflict between D&D staff and WotC management it could have a knock-on effect in terms of deliverables for upcoming D&D books.

Final thoughts

The Dungeons & Dragons and D&D Beyond teams joining United Wizards of the Coast represents a major historical milestone for both the company and the game. It remains to be seen, however, just what the impact will be on fans. A date for the vote has not yet been confirmed by the National Labor Relations Board, but will likely happen in the next several months.

We’ll be keeping a close eye on this story in the days ahead and will update this page with new information as it’s made available. Below is also a video from our YouTube channel with more information.

More D&D News Coverage

For more from the world of Dungeons & Dragons, visit our D&D News page.

Subscribe to D&D Fanatics

Get exclusive D&D news, reviews and rules updates delivered right to your inbox.