Wizards of the Coast workers object to Hasbro’s abortion rights response

Some employees at Dungeons & Dragons and Magic the Gathering publisher Wizards of the Coast say they’re frustrated with owner Hasbro’s response to Friday’s Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade, calling it “lackluster” and asking the company to reconsider its stance.

Multiple gaming companies have expressed support for the right to choose, some of which said they’re expanding healthcare coverage to support workers that must travel to receive abortion care. Bethesda Softworks (Insomniac Games) and Electronic Arts made statements on Friday in support of the right to reproduce. Grand Theft Auto publisher Take-Two Interactive declined to comment. Wizards of the Coast, Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast also refused to comment on social media. Instead, Chris Cocks, CEO of Hasbro, and Najuma Akinson chief people officer sent an official statement to employees on Monday.

In it, Hasbro executives wrote that the company has a “long history” of access to healthcare benefits, “including reproductive healthcare and other critical media services, regardless of where you live in the United States.” It also mentions “new enhanced travel benefits,” but does not explain further. Cocks and Atkinson also pointed workers toward the company’s mental health benefits, which include the Headspace app.

Employees at Wizards of the Coast are angry that certain language doesn’t disavow the Supreme Court ruling and instead asks them to be respectful of both sides.

“We know there are many perspectives over what is at stake with the overturn of Roe v. Wade by the Supreme Court announced last week,” Cocks and Atkinson wrote. “It is important we continue to respect all employees’ perspectives in the workplace.”

They continued: “Let’s continue to prioritize and nurture inclusion at Hasbro. Regardless of your individual views, this is a time to demonstrate understanding, empathy, and kindness for each other.”

The full internal memo is available below.

Our company is committed to creating an inclusive environment where all employees feel valued, supported and respected.

In addition, we have a long tradition of providing health benefits for our fellow employees. No matter where you are located in America, we affirm our determination to provide consistent and equal healthcare access, including critical medical services and reproductive health care. The new enhanced benefits would also apply to your spouse and domestic partner as well as any dependents. Your personal health decisions will remain confidential. We will make every effort to protect your privacy. We encourage you to talk with your HR partner if you have any questions or concerns about the situation.

This can be difficult for some of you. We want to remind all that there are many mental health resources available, such as counseling or virtual therapy. Our colleagues’ safety and health are of paramount importance to us.

Let’s continue to prioritize and nurture inclusion at Hasbro. No matter what your views may be, it is an opportunity to show understanding, empathy and kindness towards each other.

Many Wizards of the Coast workers spoke to Polygon anonymously to state that their statements justified dangerous anti-abortion viewpoints. “This call angered many employees, myself included, who feel that this is legitimizing those who seek to strip marginalized groups of their rights and pointedly ignoring the deadly consequences this Supreme Court decision will have on reproductive health,” one worker told Polygon.

Another current Wizards of the Coast employee said that while the letter was “inoffensive,” some workers are upset over “lackluster” or inadequate healthcare options. “To depend on those things without actually providing new resources or better resources is really not enough for a lot of people,” that employee said.

On Monday night, a Twitter account, Wizards for Justice, identifying itself as a group of Wizards of the Coast employees, posted a statement denouncing Hasbro’s internal statement. Polygon was unable to verify the authenticity or the number of employees involved in the Twitter account. Polygon interviewed at least 13 Wizards of the Coast workers from several parts of the business who confirmed that they weren’t aware of the statement or potential walkout. Some workers however said that they were supportive of the Wizards for Justice message. Some noted that Wizards of the Coast largely operates remotely, and workers were hesitant to communicate using Hasbro’s Microsoft Teams accounts to talk about the Twitter account and its message.

In the letter published to Twitter, the group said some workers are “frustrated, disappointed, and completely dissatisfied” with Hasbro’s response to the Supreme Court decision.

“Any messaging that suggests or implies that there are other, valid opinions and approaches to this further marginalization of already at risk groups on their bodily autonomy is unnecessary, invalid, and damaging,” Wizards for Justice wrote. “Such messaging only seeks to protect and validate those that seek to control, and is the wrong direction for any organization with as diverse a customer base as ours.”

The Wizards of Justice account called on Wizards of the Coast employees to walk out of work on Wednesday to “reflect, nurture mental health, and show solidarity that Hasbro will not.”

A Wizards of the Coast employee said that they plan to log off Wednesday with their team for support. However, it was not clear if other workers would follow suit. Neither Hasbro nor Wizards of the Coast has responded to Polygon’s request for comment.

Cultural impact The Gathering is Magic and Dungeons & Dragons cannot be understated; both games have influenced game-making for decades, with tens of millions of players combined. Hasbro acquired Wizards of the Coast in 1999. The company has been a huge revenue-generating machine. The success of its marquee brands helped the Rhode Island-based company to top $1 billion in revenue in 2021, with Wizards’ business unit accounting for 72% of Hasbro’s operating profit for the year. The company is also working on an animated series, and will release a major motion movie this year.

Hasbro itself has three main subsidiaries: Consumer Products, Entertainment, and Wizards & Digital. According to its total number, the company has 5,000 employees. Wizards of the Coast headquarters is in Washington. However, the company has several offices across the country including Texas. Texas is one of the states in which abortion is still illegal.

In recent years social media has grown to be a common way for employees to communicate with one another and form groups. Workers at Ubisoft and Riot Games have created social media accounts to allow them collectively voice their concerns about their work environments. These social media accounts allow workers to freely express their frustrations and offer anonymity. That anonymity also complicates verifying an account’s authenticity or understanding the scope of the movement, but some workers often feel it’s the best or only option to publicly discuss issues related to the workplace.

Raven Software Activision Blizzard QA employees used social media momentum to gather support for the union that was finally certified last month.