In a disappointing turn of events, all of Keywords Studios’ unionized QA workers were laid off from the studio at the end of September. The layoff occurred after BioWare, the developer of “Dragon Age: Dreadwolf,” decided not to renew its contract with the studio. The QA workers, who had won their union vote earlier in June, were contracted to assist with playtesting and quality assurance at BioWare Edmonton. This historic vote made them the first games industry union in Canada. The layoff came as a shock to the workers who were in bargaining with Keywords Studios at the time, following the announcement of 50 job cuts at BioWare itself.
According to a representative from the United Food and Commercial Workers Canada Union, 13 people were laid off, encompassing everyone supporting BioWare. Confirming the layoffs, Liz Corless, Keywords Studios’ global head of marketing, stated that 13 Edmonton-based QA workers were indeed let go. She explained that the departures were a result of the end of a fixed term client contract. However, it is worth noting that Keywords Studios still has several QA job postings available on its website, although these positions may require different specialties compared to the laid-off workers.
The union representing the workers has taken action by filing an employment standards complaint against Keywords Studios. The union is also disputing the “minimal severance” that was offered by the studio. Although the workers did not have a formal contract with Keywords Studios at the time of the layoff, they still have the opportunity to negotiate for better severance pay. This situation is independent of the lawsuit filed by several BioWare employees who were laid off and are seeking adequate severance. Keywords Studios, an Ireland-based company that provides development support to other studios, does not develop or publish its own games.
