Observed Signal · Sep 15, 2026 · Labor Action · Source: Mobilegamer.biz · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Negative
King staff strike as Candy Crush maker rejects bargaining deal
Two Swedish trade unions, Sveriges Ingenjörer and Unionen, have issued a formal strike notice against King, the Microsoft-owned game developer behind Candy Crush, after the company rejected a collective bargaining agreement. The strike is set to begin at 5am on September 25, affecting King's offices in Stockholm and Malmö. The dispute follows over a year of negotiations, with King president Todd Green stating the company's current benefits are superior. Sveriges Ingenjörer represents around 100 members at King, which operates in Sweden as Midasplayer AB. The unions cite the need to secure member conditions. This action comes after King laid off around 200 staff in July 2025, including replacing narrative and UX writers with AI tools.
Labor strike at a major mobile game developer could affect game development and advertising monetization, but it is not directly related to core AdTech.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Sveriges Ingenjörer and Unionen have issued a formal strike notice against King, the maker of Candy Crush.
- The strike is scheduled to begin at 5am on Friday, September 25, affecting King's Stockholm and Malmö offices.
- King, a Microsoft-owned company, operates in Sweden as Midasplayer AB.
- Sveriges Ingenjörer represents about 100 members at King.
- The strike follows King's rejection of a collective bargaining agreement after over a year of negotiations.
Connected Companies & Entities
“King staff could strike after the Candy Crush maker rejects collective bargaining agreement”
“The Microsoft-owned company rejected a collective bargaining agreement”
Related Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
King Averts Strikes by Signing Swedish Union Agreement
King, the maker of Candy Crush, has averted planned strikes at its Stockholm and Malmo offices by signing a collective bargaining agreement with two Swedish unions, Unionen and the Engineers of Sweden. The agreement, signed hours before the scheduled strike on September 25, ends over a year of negotiations. It grants employees better influence over their work situation, the right to organize, and timely information on changes. The unions welcomed the move, seeing it as a step toward secure and predictable employment conditions. This comes amid broader restructuring at parent company Microsoft, which has seen layoffs across Xbox studios, though King has largely escaped recent cuts and has expanded its remit to include Microsoft Casual Games.
Xbox cuts 268 jobs, King escapes major layoffs
Xbox has announced another round of layoffs, cutting 268 jobs across its first-party studios, XGS management, and central functions as part of its ongoing restructuring. King, the mobile gaming studio behind Candy Crush, has largely escaped these cuts and has seen its remit expanded to include Microsoft Casual Games, which produces evergreen titles like Solitaire and Minesweeper. The restructuring, first announced in July, brings Xbox three-quarters of the way through its planned changes. King and Mojang now report directly to Xbox boss Asha Sharma. The cuts primarily affect console and PC studios, with Activision overseeing Rare and World's Edge, Bethesda absorbing Obsidian, and Playground Games merging with Turn 10. Ninja Theory is likely to close, while Double Fine, Compulsion Games, and Undead Labs have been divested. King staff in Stockholm and Malmö are set to strike over a rejected collective bargaining agreement.
Samsung Workers to Strike Starting Thursday
South Korea's Samsung Electronics faces a union-organised strike starting Thursday after negotiations with management failed. Unions announced industrial action running through 7 June 2026 and estimate up to 50,500 participants, a scale that could cause significant economic disruption. The dispute centres on profit distribution from the AI-driven chip boom; labour demands include a 7% wage increase and higher bonuses, and unions highlight pay gaps between chip‑division employees (who receive large premiums) and other staff. Samsung warned against a strike and said it remained willing to negotiate, while the company's share price fell on the news. Samsung Electronics accounts for roughly 12.5% of South Korea's economic output and semiconductors represent about 35% of the country's exports, raising concerns about wider supply‑chain and macroeconomic impacts.
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