Staff at King, the developer of Candy Crush Saga, have issued a strike notice for 25 September following years of unsuccessful union contract negotiations. Swedish labour unions Unionen and Sveriges Ingenjörer notified management that unless a mediated agreement is reached, workers will strike. The action comes after King's leadership rejected the unions' proposed collective bargaining agreement in August, claiming the company's existing benefits package was superior for all global employees, including those in Sweden. Issuing a strike notice is often a tactic to push management back to the negotiating table rather than a guaranteed work stoppage.

The strike threat carries considerable weight given King's financial importance to its parent company Microsoft and recent labour victories elsewhere in the gaming industry. King's Candy Crush Saga generated $875 million in revenue during 2025 alone, making it one of Microsoft's most reliable earners. The timing is significant because workers at Blizzard Entertainment—another Microsoft-owned studio acquired in the company's $68.7 billion purchase of Activision Blizzard in 2023—ratified their first union contracts this week, securing wage increases, hybrid working arrangements, and "just cause" employment protections. This recent success likely strengthens King's unions' negotiating position.