NBA 2K and BioShock motion capture experts file for unionization

Twenty-one workers at 2K Games’ motion capture studio in Petaluma, Calif., filed for union elections Tuesday, the International Alliance of Theatrical Employees announced in a press release Wednesday. The group is turning to the National Labor Relations Board to plan elections after 2K management failed to respond to a request for voluntary recognition.

Workers at the studio, known as 2K Mocap, launched the first public union campaign at a studio dedicated to motion capture. They seek to resolve problems related to working conditions and wages. “The unit’s priorities include job security, pay equity that reflects industry standards, minimum salaries for new hires and clearer definition of job responsibilities,” IATSE wrote in a press release. “Workers say that despite recent investments in facility upgrades, their wages remain below average, making it difficult to maintain a long-term career in the industry. »

The union, if certified, would cover animators, performers, sound specialists, carpenters, stage technicians and engineers. These workers do motion capture for franchises like NBA 2K, Mafia, BioShock, WWE 2K and others. Video game motion capture actors are typically represented by the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. (Video game actors, including motion capture actors, are currently on strike, largely over AI protections.) The people who work at 2K Mocap are not actors; they do the rest of the work surrounding the actors: building sets, animating models, capturing motion and audio, and making sure all those little motion capture balls stay on the motion capture suits.

“As creative professionals, we tend to make sacrifices and settle for less because we have a relentless passion for what we do and the projects we work on,” said Ryan Kwok, engineering engineer. 2K motion capture tools Mocap, in a press release. “But we owe it to ourselves and others in this industry to fight for protections so we can continue to make the games we and so many others love.”

2K Games did not respond to Polygon’s request for comment.

The proposed union is represented by IATSE, an international union that represents entertainment workers who typically work behind the scenes. Its activity has largely focused on the film and television industries, but IATSE has recently expanded into the video game industry. In 2023, Workinman Interactive, which makes licensed games like Spongebob Squarepants Game Frenzy And Fisher Price: Smart cycleunionized with IATSE.