Workers in the Magic: The Gathering Arena department have voted to form a union affiliated with the Communication Workers of America (CWA). The ballot, which concluded on Tuesday, June 23, showed overwhelming support for the initiative: according to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) website, out of 102 eligible voters, 79 voted in favor of unionization, while only 16 voted against.

In a statement published on its website and shared on social media, the United Wizards of the Coast (UWOTC) group celebrated the result:

“After months of planning, waiting, and organizing, our dream has finally become a reality… As of today, we have a union!”

Wizards of the Coast employees announced the start of the unionization process approximately two months ago, officially filing their petition with the NLRB on April 27, 2026. Among the main reasons cited was the controversial mandatory return-to-office policy, which required numerous employees — many of whom had been hired as remote workers — to relocate closer to the company's headquarters in Renton, Washington.

Among other concerns raised by the group were the demand for greater protections against layoffs and the introduction of a clear artificial intelligence policy. Workers reported increasing pressure from the company to adopt AI-based tools, despite openly expressing doubts and concerns about their use.

UWOTC had initially invited Wizards of the Coast to voluntarily recognize the union, thus avoiding formal elections. However, according to the union's website, both Wizards and Hasbro allowed the deadline for voluntary recognition to expire, making a vote necessary.

With the victory at the polls, the next step will now be the negotiation of a collective bargaining agreement between the new MTG Arena employee union and Wizards of the Coast.

In recent years, several entities related to the collectible card game world have seen the formation of labor organizations, from specialized stores to TCGPlayer employees. However, this represents the first internal unionization in Wizards of the Coast's history.

In its concluding statement, UWOTC expressed hope that this result could become an example for other workers as well:

“We can only hope this victory inspires others to pursue unionization in their own workplaces.”