At this point, it feels like Wizards of the Coast can be a magnet for controversy. Between AI accusations, hat sets, Secret Lair shenanigans, and Universes Beyond, there’s almost always something to complain about. Even these sore spots, however, are nothing compared to some of Hasbro’s biggest blunders.
It might have been a few years ago, but it’s hard to forget that Wizards/Hasbro once sent the literal Pinkertons to someone’s house, following leaks. While it’ll be difficult for Hasbro to outdo this, it seems they’re giving it a good try this week. After MTG Arena developers announced their intention to unionize, Hasbro hired an infamous Union-Busting Firm.
Unsurprisingly, MTG players aren’t too happy about this disappointing development and have been making their feelings known. Sadly, despite the vocal support from players and content creators alike, it seems that Hasbro isn’t keen to accept the union’s terms.
A Not-So Blissful Union
On Monday, the aptly named United Wizards of the Coast union sent a letter to Hasbro on behalf of MTG Arena players. Outlining their goals for better treatment within Wizards of the Coast, the letter hit upon key areas like layoff protection, remote work protection, and work-life balance.
Alongside these goals, the letter also highlighted Wizards’ lack of an AI policy and the current direction of MTG. Considering these concerns have long been voiced by the MTG community, it’s unsurprising that there was so much support. Across social media, many players quickly rallied behind the union, with calls for signatures being well received.
When it was first announced, the United Wizards of the Coast union asked Hasbro to voluntarily recognize their union. Unfortunately, Hasbro has done almost the exact opposite of this by immediately hiring the notorious union-busting firm Fisher Phillips. Unsurprisingly, MTG players weren’t best pleased about this development, with many responding with variations of “Hasbro can go fuck itself.”
As if this wasn’t bad enough, Hasbro also responded to the union’s petition with a statement via Kotaku. While this response from Wizards and Hasbro wasn’t an outright no, the language used immediately set off alarm bells. Leaning into the angle of Wizards being a family, even if not using those exact words, it was clear that Wizards doesn’t love the union’s efforts.
“We have received the filing and are reviewing it carefully. Our employees are the lifeblood of what makes us great, and we are committed to fostering a workplace where every person feels heard, valued, and supported. We believe we have a strong connection with everyone at Wizards of the Coast and that direct relationship with our employees is essential to how we work together to capture the imagination of our fans and players, inspiring a lifetime love of our games. We appreciate hearing about the needs and interests of our employees through this filing, and will respond through the appropriate process.”
Wizards of the Coast & Hasbro
The Long Wait
Currently, while Hasbro’s response to the union doesn’t look good, technically, they’ve not said no yet. Hell, even the hiring of Fisher Phillips isn’t inherently awful, as Wizards could just be using them to ensure they don’t mess negotiations up. That being said, the optics really aren’t very good here, so the chances of this being all sunshine and roses are pretty unlikely.
Ultimately, even if things don’t look great, there’s no telling which way things will go right now. We’re probably not going to get an answer for a little while, either, as discussion and deliberation could easily take weeks, if not months, to happen. Whenever things do get resolved, I wouldn’t expect players to see sweeping changes on MTG Arena or Magic: The Gathering in general.
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