Complete Workers’ Quotes Appear at the End of This Release
PETALUMA, CA — 23 Workers at 2K’s Motion Capture (MoCap) Studio in Petaluma, California, have voted to unionize with the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), Friday. The election, supervised by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), marks the first successful unionization effort at a motion capture studio in the video game industry’s history. The final vote count was 15 in favor (71%), with 6 against.
The Petaluma MoCap workers are a key part of Take-Two Interactive’s production pipeline, contributing to blockbuster franchises such as NBA 2K, WWE 2K, Bioshock, and XCOM. By joining IATSE, these workers have taken a significant step toward securing job security, fair pay, and improved working conditions through collective bargaining.
Ryan Kwok, Motion Capture Tools Engineer said, “Our victory today would not have been possible without the compassion and sense of duty that our teammates have for one another. I felt inspired to see so many of us rally together to equip ourselves with the means to create positive change at our studio. The state of the industry is severe. Why must workers take the fall when corporations overextend and collapse? On top of that, AI stands to dramatically change the way games will be created if protections for human creatives are not secured in the present. I’m optimistic that Take-Two will recognize that we are investing in this studio, just as they have. We hope to bargain in good faith to make this studio’s processes more transparent, democratic, and equitable for all of us.”
The election, originally filed for in October, included workers across several job titles and designations, including: Jr. Motion Capture Tools Engineer, Junior Motion Capture Stage Technician, Mocap Technical Animator, Motion Capture Animator, Motion Capture Artist II, Motion Capture Audio Recording Specialist, Motion Capture Audio Specialist, Motion Capture Lead Solver, Motion Capture Master Carpenter, Motion Capture Scenic Fabricator, Motion Capture Stage Technician, Motion Capture Tools Engineer, Senior Mocap AD, Sr. Motion Capture Tools Engineer, Sr. Virtual Production Tech, Mocap, Stage Technician, Stage Technician I.
Matthew Peterson, Motion Capture Animator said, “Today it is evident that the people at this studio truly want what is best not only for themselves, but what is best for their coworkers, future generations of workers, and the studio as a whole. Whilst this campaign has not been without its challenges, it is inspiring that the core driving force of this movement is empathy for one another. I look forward to negotiating in good faith with Take-Two, and I hope that other workers in our industry will feel inspired to organize and gain the protections that are necessary not only to survive, but thrive.”
IATSE International President Matthew D. Loeb emphasized the historic significance of the vote: “This victory is not just about one studio; it’s about the future of work in the video game industry. 2K MoCap workers have shown what many other entertainment workers already know — that collective action is the best way to secure fairness, equity, and respect in the workplace. Their courage will inspire others in the industry to follow suit. This outcome also demonstrates what can be achieved when workers exercise their right to organize, a right that we will continue to fight to defend and expand.”
The next phase for the 2K MoCap workers is to begin productive negotiations with 2K management to secure a first contract that reflects their contributions to the company’s success. IATSE looks forward to productive discussions with 2K management and will work alongside the workers to achieve meaningful improvements on their priorities.
This historic vote adds momentum to the broader unionization efforts in the video game and visual effects industries. Workers interested in learning more about joining together in a union can visit VFXUnion.org and Gameworkers.org for resources and support.
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Workers’ Quotes:
“It took so long to get to where we are today, but I’m only excited for what the future of Mocap and video games will be now that we have a voice. I hope we can foster an even stronger culture of collaboration, empathy and creativity both among management and our coworkers. I think the true value of any company, especially 2K and T2, are the people, and I hope that was reflected today through our vote and will be heard by many.”
— Cameron Boyce, Motion Capture Scenic Fabricator
“Today, we voted to enshrine our rights as workers. Today, we are victorious. This is just the first step in what we hope will be a collaborative negotiation process with management and our parent company. This journey has been long and arduous. The fight was not easy, but that makes this victory all the more remarkable. We have shown resilience, determination, empathy, and solidarity in the face of callous resistance. We have proven our worth, and now it is time to see a return on our hard-earned successes. I hope this sends a message to other studios and workforces who feel undervalued and exploited: take control of your future and look toward a more optimistic horizon. Inequities will persist unless workers band together to create the change they want to see in the world—as we have done today. I’m incredibly proud of each of my coworkers and their unwavering commitment to one another. This success is the result of the care and concern we showed for each other, and the tremendous support from IATSE. We’re excited to join IATSE in protecting our rights, those of our fellow members in every local, and every worker ready to secure their future.”
— Connor Bredbeck, Stage Technician
“Our victory today would not have been possible without the compassion and sense of duty that our teammates have for one another. I felt inspired to see so many of us rally together to equip ourselves with the means to create positive change at our studio. The state of the industry is severe. Why must workers take the fall when corporations overextend and collapse? On top of that, AI stands to dramatically change the way games will be created if protections for human creatives are not secured in the present. I’m optimistic that Take-Two will recognize that we are investing in this studio, just as they have. We hope to bargain in good faith to make this studio’s processes more transparent, democratic, and equitable for all of us.”
— Ryan Kwok, Motion Capture Tools Engineer
“Today it is evident that the people at this studio truly want what is best not only for themselves, but what is best for their coworkers, future generations of workers, and the studio as a whole. Whilst this campaign has not been without its challenges, it is inspiring that the core driving force of this movement is empathy for one another. I look forward to negotiating in good faith with Take-Two, and I hope that other workers in our industry will feel inspired to organize and gain the protections that are necessary not only to survive, but thrive.”
— Matthew Peterson, Motion Capture Animator
“It’s been inspiring to see people become brave enough to challenge the isolating, status quo concept of what a game industry career should be and imagine a new way of how workers can relate to one another. To me, unionizing was never an act of aggression against managment, but an affirmation of our value as workers and an actionable commitment to mutual support. I’m looking forward to forging a new, productive partnership between management, IATSE, and my coworkers, one based on mutual respect and a shared desire to push the boundaries of both technology and storytelling. Together, we are all writing a new, exciting chapter in the history of the game industry, and in the history of labor.”
— Calvin Walantus, Sr. Motion Capture Tools Engineer
“Even though we didn’t get the unanimous result as we had hoped for, I’m deeply proud of the progress we made today, and every single one of the people who have worked so hard to make it happen. For the first time, we have a voice. For the first time, we have a real chance at fixing many issues that have plagued this otherwise amazing studio. To those who have voted a no today, I get it. Changes are scary. Uncertainty is scary. Instead of fear, however, I’m choosing hope — and I truly hope that in time, we can prove to you guys that this is a good thing for all of us.
To the 2k management, I hope one day we can succeed in seeing things from each other’s perspectives. For now, I hope we can continue to work like the great team we are despite our differences. To everyone outside of this studio who has been voicing their support throughout this difficult time, you have my sincere gratitude. To all the friends who are no longer here at 2k to share this victory with us, this one’s for you. For all of you. And for all of us. We did it.”
— Queena Chang, Mocap Technical Animator
