Editing Raven Software (section)

===Activision===
The company was independent until 1997, when it was acquired by [[Activision]] for $12 million.<ref>{{cite web|first=Karen|last=Kaplan|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-aug-07-fi-20136-story.html|title=Activision to Expand Game Lineup with Raven Purchase|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=August 7, 1997|access-date=August 17, 2021}}</ref> They were still collaborating with id Software but at the same time developed other titles as well such as ''[[Soldier of Fortune (video game)|Soldier of Fortune]]'' in 2000, ''[[Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy]]'' in 2003, ''[[X-Men Legends]]'' in 2004 and many more.

In August 2009, following poor performance and possible over-budget of ''[[Wolfenstein (2009 video game)|Wolfenstein]],''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.next-gen.biz/news/raven-software-hit-layoffs|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120905060520/http://www.next-gen.biz/news/raven-software-hit-layoffs|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 5, 2012|title=Raven Software Hit By Layoffs|first=Tom|last=Ivan}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= http://kotaku.com/5346302/raven-hit-by-layoffs-some-point-to-lackluster-wolfenstein-sales |title= Raven Hit By Layoffs, Some Point to Lackluster Wolfenstein Sales |date= August 26, 2009 |access-date= December 1, 2013 |first= Brian |last= Crecente |work= Kotaku}}</ref> the company made a major layoff of 30 to 35 staff, leaving two development teams. This was reduced to one after more layoffs in October 2010, after delays with ''[[Singularity (video game)|Singularity]];'' as many as 40 staff were released. Following the layoffs and after id Software was bought over by [[ZeniMax Media]], Raven has since become a primary developer for the ''[[Call of Duty]]'' series.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.shacknews.com/article/65958/report-layoffs-hit-raven-software |title=Report: Layoffs Hit Raven Software, Focusing on DLC |website=Shacknews.com |date=October 11, 2010 |access-date=July 21, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.1up.com/news/raven-software-loses-staff |title=Raven Software Loses More Staff |access-date=January 11, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121017191921/http://www.1up.com/news/raven-software-loses-staff |archive-date=October 17, 2012 |df=dmy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= http://kotaku.com/5661071/singularity-game-developer-hit-with-layoffs |title= Singularity Game Developer Hit with Layoffs |date= October 11, 2010 |access-date= December 1, 2013 |first= Brian |last= Crecente |work= Kotaku}}</ref> By July 2021, Raven Software had grown to roughly 350 employees.<ref>{{cite web |title=Analysis: Call of Duty Warzone's developer has grown by nearly 50% in a year |url=https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/analysis-call-of-duty-warzones-developer-has-grown-by-nearly-50-in-a-year/ |website=Video Games Chronicle |date=July 19, 2021 }}</ref>

{{See also|Activision Blizzard worker organization|Microsoft and unions#United States}}

In December 2021, Activision did not renew the contract of several members of the [[Software testing|quality assurance]] (QA) department that were contract employees.  One of the associate managers said that "valuable members" were fired although they "were promised, for months, that Activision was working towards a pay restructure to increase their wages".<ref>{{Cite web|last=Obedkov|first=Evgeny|date=2021-12-07|title=Call of Duty: Warzone developers protest layoffs of contract testers who were promised promotions|url=https://gameworldobserver.com/2021/12/07/call-of-duty-warzone-developers-protest-layoffs-of-contract-testers-who-were-promised-promotions/|access-date=2021-12-15|website=Game World Observer|language=en-US}}</ref> Following these firings as well as other [[California Department of Fair Employment and Housing v. Activision Blizzard|controversies]] involving Activision Blizzard, a [[Strike action|strike]] has been initiated.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Nightingale|first=Ed|date=2021-12-07|title=Raven Software employees walk out following layoffs in the QA team|url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-12-06-raven-software-employees-walk-out-following-layoffs-in-the-qa-team|access-date=2021-12-15|website=Eurogamer|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Blizzard QA Staff Join Walkout As Raven Software Strike Continues|url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/blizzard-qa-staff-join-walkout-as-raven-software-strike-continues/1100-6498688/|access-date=2021-12-15|website=GameSpot|language=en-US}}</ref> On January 21, 2022, Raven's QA team formed a union named the [[Game Workers Alliance]] with [[Communications Workers of America]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2022-01-21/workers-at-activision-blizzard-owned-game-studio-raven-software-vote-to-unionize|title=Workers at Activision Blizzard-owned game studio Raven Software vote to unionize|website=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=January 21, 2022}}</ref>

In May 2022, workers of the Raven QA team voted to unionize with a count of 19 – 2 in favor.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Liao |first=Shannon |date=May 23, 2022 |title=Raven Software employees win union election |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/video-games/2022/05/23/activision-blizzard-union-raven/ |access-date=May 23, 2022}}</ref> In June 2022 Activision Blizzard CEO [[Bobby Kotick]] stated that the company would recognize the union and begin negotiations with it.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=LeBlanc |first=Wesley |title=Activision Blizzard CEO Says Company Will Recognize Raven Software Union And Begin Negotiations |url=https://www.gameinformer.com/2022/06/10/activision-blizzard-ceo-says-company-will-recognize-raven-software-union-and-begin |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220610160057/https://www.gameinformer.com/2022/06/10/activision-blizzard-ceo-says-company-will-recognize-raven-software-union-and-begin |url-status=live |archive-date=June 10, 2022 |access-date=2022-06-11 |magazine=Game Informer |language=en}}</ref> Following the Raven QA team's successful unionization, the 20-member QA team of [[Blizzard Albany]] announced a unionization drive in July 2022 as GWA Albany.<ref>{{cite web |date=July 19, 2022 |title=Blizzard QA workers in Albany are organizing Activision's second union |url=https://www.theverge.com/2022/7/19/23270108/blizzard-qa-workers-union-activision-gwa-albany-vicarious-visions |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220801055231/https://www.theverge.com/2022/7/19/23270108/blizzard-qa-workers-union-activision-gwa-albany-vicarious-visions |archive-date=August 1, 2022 |access-date=August 1, 2022}}</ref> The vote passed (14–0), forming the second union at an Activision Blizzard subsidiary.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Carpenter |first1=Nicole |date=2022-12-02 |title=Blizzard Albany becomes second unionized studio at Activision Blizzard |url=https://www.polygon.com/23490063/activision-blizzard-albany-qa-union-vote-win |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230126175937/https://www.polygon.com/23490063/activision-blizzard-albany-qa-union-vote-win |archive-date=January 26, 2023 |access-date=2023-02-11 |work=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] |language=en-US |df=mdy-all}}</ref>

On March 8, 2024, 600 QA testers at 3 [[Activision]] studios in [[Austin, Texas]], [[Eden Prairie, Minnesota]] and [[El Segundo, California]] joined Raven and Blizzard's unionizations to form the union "Activision Quality Assurance United-CWA" and voted to unionize (390–8) in favor, making it the largest video game union in the United States. Following [[Acquisition of Activision Blizzard by Microsoft|Microsoft acquisition of Activision Blizzard]], who included Raven Software, the company [[NLRB election procedures|voluntarily recognized]] the union.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Carpenter |first=Nicole |date=2024-03-08 |title=600 Activision QA workers unionize, Microsoft voluntarily recognizes |url=https://www.polygon.com/24093254/activision-qa-600-workers-union-microsoft |access-date=2024-06-18 |website=Polygon |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Parrish |first=Ash |date=2024-03-09 |title=Activision QA workers form the largest US video game union yet |url=https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/8/24094602/activision-blizzard-qa-workers-unionizing-microsoft |access-date=2024-06-18 |website=The Verge |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Eidelson |first=Josh |date=2024-07-24 |title=Microsoft's 'World of Warcraft' Gaming Staff Votes to Unionize |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-07-24/world-of-warcraft-unionizes-growing-foothold-at-microsoft-s-activision-blizzard |access-date=2024-07-24 |work=[[Bloomberg.com]] |language=en}}</ref>