Psychonauts developer Double Fine Productions has filed to unionise with support from the Communications Workers of America (CWA).
Psychonauts developer Double Fine Productions has filed a union petition with the National Labor Relations Board, supported by the CWA. The petition, submitted on May 7, seeks voluntary recognition from Microsoft and encompasses 42 part-time and full-time employees. The CWA stated that Double Fine's decision to unionise aims to uphold the studio's commitments to creative excellence, diversity, inclusion, and worker quality of life.
Microsoft and the CWA had a labor neutrality agreement in 2022, which allowed developers, including those at Double Fine, to unionise without NLRB involvement. The agreement lapsed in October 2025, prompting discussions for a new agreement. Several Microsoft subsidiaries, such as Raven Software, have unionised since 2022, with hopes for continued negotiations for fair labor practices.
Double Fine, known for games like Psychonauts, was acquired by Microsoft in 2019 for $13.2 million. The studio, established in 2000 by Tim Schafer after leaving LucasArts, joins the growing list of game development studios seeking union representation.
