Arkane Studios STJV union members have published an open letter, addressed to the heads of the studio, Zenimax, Microsoft, and Microsoft Gaming, demanding that Microsoft stop its support of Israel amidst the conflict in Gaza.
“Arkane Studios’ STJV section joins Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) and the No Azure for Apartheid in their demands for Microsoft to stop supporting the Israeli regime,” STJV said in the open letter, published on August 7, 2025.
“We think that Microsoft has no place being [an] accomplice of a genocide, and as Microsoft employees, we don’t want to be part of this sinister project for Gaza.
“Moreover, we think it’s our responsibility, as tech workers, to raise the alarm, and to ensure that our technologies are used to make the voices of the oppressed heard, and not facilitate their demise.”
On April 10, 2025, BDS, a Palestinian-led movement, which “works to end international support for Israel’s oppression of Palestinians,” announced a new boycott campaign targeting Microsoft gaming products to pressure the company to “end its complicity in Israel’s genocide, occupation and apartheid against Palestinians.
The BDS called Microsoft “perhaps the most complicit tech company in Israel’s illegal occupation,” and called for players to boycott all Microsoft Gaming products, such as headsets and consoles, and any games published by Microsoft-owned labels, such as Bethesda Softworks and Activision Blizzard.
Following the announcement of this boycott, over 2,000 Microsoft workers signed the No Azure for Apartheid petition, which demanded the tech giant “cut all [its] ties with the Israeli Army,” and that the company conducts “a third-party independent audit of our contract, services and product to make sure they are not involved in any human right violation, be it in Gaza, or elsewhere.”
STVJ claims that, despite this petition, Microsoft has continued to “turn a blind eye to demands from its own team.”
“Microsoft has a responsibility toward its employees, as we have one toward the company,” the letter reads.
“As stated in the company’s commitment to human rights, and regularly used in the company talk points, ‘Microsoft is committed to protecting fundamental rights’. But so far, Microsoft has failed both its teams & its customers by being actively complicit of the invasion and war crimes happening in Gaza.
“If those core values are more [than] just talking points to sell more products, it is now more than due time for Microsoft to commit to them.”
The letter also raises concerns that Microsoft’s stance could affect the employees’ “reputation and work.”
“We think this could very well affect our life directly, by reducing the audience for our games, thus directly compromising the viability of Xbox Games, and, in the long run, our very own jobs.”
STJV demands that Microsoft terminate “all ongoing or future contract[s] with Israeli Occupation Forces,” discloses “all ties to the Israeli military,” conducts a public audit of its technologies, services, contracts and investments “to make sure they are not used to violate the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights,” calls for an “immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza,” and ensures “the protection of pro-Palestinian speech.”
In May, Microsoft conducted an internal review following claims that its Azure and AI technologies were being used by the Israel Ministry of Defence (IMOD) “to target civilians or cause harm in the conflict in Gaza.”
While Microsoft acknowledged it provides the IMOD with “software, professional services, Azure cloud and AI services,” it claimed its review found “no evidence to date” that these technologies “have been used to target or harm people” in the ongoing Gaza conflict.
GamesIndustry.biz has reached out to Microsoft for comment on this story.
