Key information
Employees behind major franchises like Dungeons & Dragons, Magic: The Gathering, D&D Beyond, and Duel Masters have officially formed a union. This collective action aims to protect workers' rights against industry challenges, specifically targeting the implementation of generative artificial intelligence and excessive crunch culture.
The union is demanding that management cease the promotion of machine learning and generative AI tools. Workers are concerned about job security and the potential for AI to replace human creativity in illustrations and official content, despite previous assurances from Hasbro CEO Chris Cocks in March 2026 that AI should remain outside creative processes.
Beyond AI, the union seeks sustainable workloads, professional progression, and better wages. A significant point of contention involves intellectual property rights; the union claims Hasbro asserts ownership over personal projects created by staff during their private time using their own resources, a practice the employees are fighting to change.
The path to unionization faced resistance from Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast, who initially opposed the initiative during the spring of 2026. While the company argued that direct communication is superior to union negotiation, the employees persisted, with the Magic: The Gathering Arena team even seeking judicial authorization to move forward.
