Epic Games, the creators of Fortnite, announced this weekend that the majority of its contingent workers in the United States will be promoted to full-time positions with benefits.
MORE FROM RAVZGADGET: Vi From ‘League Of Legends’ Makes An Appearance In ‘Fortnite’
The Verge obtained an internal memo outlining the company’s plans, which prompted the announcement. According to Epic spokesperson Elka Looks, the studio intends to hire “a few hundred” existing contractors, the majority of whom currently work as quality assurance testers.
Epic will hire those individuals directly and provide them with access to the company’s benefits package.
Looks also stated that the company will continue to hire contingent workers to fill “short-term needs,” and according to the memo obtained by The Verge, Epic will not extend the full-time employment offer to some employees.
According to the outlet, the document stated, “There are a few exceptions where it makes sense for both the worker and Epic Games to maintain contingent worker status.”
Epic’s decision to convert many of its QA testers to full-time employees comes at a time when workers at Activision Blizzard’s Raven Software are attempting to unionize. The studio laid off a dozen QA testers in December, resulting in a walkout involving both full-time employees and contractors.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: ‘Dying Light 2’ Will Come With Free PS5 And Xbox Series X/S Upgrades
Last month, those employees announced their intention to join the Communication Workers of America and asked the troubled publisher to voluntarily recognize their union. Activision, on the other hand, moved to reorganize the studio in a way that critics claim is designed to thwart those efforts.
