Workers at Arkane Studios, a video game subsidiary of Microsoft, have publicly joined the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement. Members of the STJV union at Arkane’s French studio have issued an open letter demanding that parent company Microsoft sever its ties with Israel. The union’s action is in response to a conflict that a United Nations Special Committee has described as having characteristics “consistent with genocide” against the people of Gaza.
For some time now, I’ve been writing about Microsoft’s concerning relationship with the Israeli military and the growing humanitarian crisis the company is aiding. The issue has always been clear: the company’s technology and services are being used to facilitate a conflict that is causing immense suffering, and the damage to its reputation goes far beyond the direct deaths its tools have enabled. Now, the conversation has been amplified by the very people who build Microsoft’s products.
The union’s demands are based on extensive reporting that alleges Microsoft is allowing Israel’s military surveillance agency, Unit 8200, to use its Azure cloud platform to monitor Palestinians and facilitate military operations. This has led the workers to accuse their employer of being an “accomplice of a genocide.” While Microsoft had previously stated that an external review “found no evidence to date” of its products being used to “target or harm people” in Gaza, the union workers remain unconvinced.
In their open letter, addressed to leaders across Arkane, ZeniMax, Microsoft Gaming, and the wider Microsoft group, the STJV union section laid out a series of specific demands:
- Terminate Contracts: They called for Microsoft to end all current and future contracts with the Israeli regime.
- Full Disclosure: The union wants Microsoft to disclose all of its ties to the Israeli military.
- Independent Audit: They are demanding a “transparent, independent and public audit” of Microsoft’s technologies, contracts, and investments to ensure they comply with international human rights standards and Microsoft’s own human rights commitments.
- Political Stance: The group is calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza and for Microsoft to protect pro-Palestinian speech and actions on internal company platforms.
The union’s letter expresses a dual concern, stating, “We think that Microsoft has no place being an accomplice to a genocide, and as Microsoft employees, we don’t want to be part of this sinister project for Gaza.” They also highlight a commercial concern, noting that the company’s actions could “compromise the viability of Xbox Games, and, in the long run, our very own jobs.”
The BDS movement, which the Arkane workers have backed, has described Microsoft as “perhaps the most complicit tech company” and is urging consumers to pressure the company by boycotting its gaming products, including Xbox consoles, Xbox Game Pass, and major franchises like Call of Duty.
This is a critical moment for Microsoft. As the BDS movement steps up its call for a boycott of Xbox and other gaming products, the company’s brand is at serious risk. The message from its employees is a powerful one: the longer Microsoft waits to “jump ship” and align its actions with its stated values, the more tarnished its brand will become. The company’s silence is no longer an option, and the pressure to act is now coming from within its own walls.
