Heart Machine workers secure voluntary union recognition

Employees at Heart Machine, the studio behind Hyper Light Drifter and Solar Ash, have unionized with the Communications Workers of America (CWA), forming a wall-to-wall union of 13 frontline workers. The studio voluntarily recognized the union after a supermajority of workers requested recognition in February 2026. The move comes months after layoffs following the cancellation of Hyper Light Breaker. Union members plan to bargain for work-life balance protections, creative autonomy, and job security. The CWA now represents nearly 4,000 game industry workers, including those at Blizzard Entertainment and ZeniMax Media.