Fact or Fiction: Studio X and D&D Workers Union

Earlier this week, the teams behind Dungeons and Dragons and Wizards’ paper TCGs announced their intent to form a union with CWA. To help understand the implications behind this move, we here at the Commander’s Herald have put together this helpful guide.

CLAIM: Wait, didn’t you already do an article about the WotC Union?

FICTION – That union push was for the MTG Arena team specifically. This one is for the paper team as well as D&D and a few others. It counts as a separate game object.

CLAIM: The other teams at Wizards saw what Arena was getting and wanted the same.

FACT – Wizards figured the Arena team wouldn’t talk after they threatened their beloved Alchemy cards, but turns out they didn’t want to deal with coding around them either.

CLAIM: Hasbro claims to owns games its designers make outside of work.

FACT – Hasbro claims to own everything their workers make outside of work. Game designs, blog posts, dinner leftovers in the office fridge. They even laid claim to the name of one worker’s firstborn. Monopoly McGuillicutty will be 5 next month.

CLAIM: Hasbro can legally do that.

FICTION – Sure, it violates several federal and state statutes, but then again, who alone among us can tell the international multibillion dollar conglomerate what is and is not allowed?

CLAIM: Wizards learned its lesson and will voluntarily recognize the union this time.

FICTION – Please, leave the comedy to the professionals and hobbyists. 

CLAIM: Wizards leadership isn’t going down without a fight.

FACT – They’re already scheduling the pro-corporate pizza parties and compiling a list of employees to deadname as we speak.

CLAIM: Unionization will bring about the death of the game.

FICTION –  After everything it has seen, the only thing we can be certain can actually kill this game is the involvement of Rowling, Eater of Fandoms.

CLAIM: You’re not afraid of any blowback of your union support personally.

FACT – What are they gonna do, send the Pinkertons after me? Besides, I’m from a family full of steelworkers, electricians, and public schoolteachers. I wouldn’t be here several times over without the work of several unions, and I support what UWOTC-CWA is doing here. Now if you’ll excuse me, there’s someone at the door.

*CRASH*
*THUD*

CLAIM: Uh, Wilder, are you alright over there?

FICTION