King, the Microsoft-owned developer of Candy Crush, has signed a collective bargaining agreement covering its Swedish employees, preventing a planned strike. The agreement matters because it gives staff more formal influence over working conditions and advance information about workplace changes, including reorganisations, amid continuing layoffs across Microsoft’s gaming divisions.

The deal was signed with Unionen and Engineers of Sweden after negotiations that began in May 2025, following disputes over employee benefits and workplace representation. It takes effect on 1 April 2027 and will not prevent redundancies, but it brings King closer to Sweden’s established labour model, where nearly nine in 10 employees have basic job security through collective agreements.