The major sexism scandal at Activision Blizzard had serious consequences for the studio in California in 2022. In May, the fifth season of Overwatch is set to start, and the e-sports league was supposed to make a strong comeback in 2022 with Overwatch 2 and without Corona. However, Blizzard apparently has major problems finding sponsors: None of the old sponsors want to renew their contracts, and negotiations with new ones are still ongoing.
This is the situation:
- In the summer of 2021, a sexism scandal at Blizzard came to light. Women in the studio were reportedly treated poorly for years. Men had sexually harassed women; they were paid less and promoted less than men. Moreover, women were doing the work while some men used their time in the office to drink and sleep off their hangovers.
- The sexism scandal had wide repercussions at Activision Blizzard. They fired the president of Blizzard, hired a new female leader, who then also left. Employees protested, demanding the head of the CEO of Activision Blizzard – who ultimately sold the company to Microsoft.
- With some delays, Blizzard is now noticing another consequence of the scandal: The Overwatch League has not found any sponsors. The old ones are gone, and negotiations with new ones are still ongoing. The league was supposed to really kick off in 2022.
New season of Overwatch is important for Blizzard
Why is the season in Overwatch so important? Season 5 of the Overwatch League is set to start in May 2022. There are several reasons why the season is important:
- It is the first live season in North America since 2020. Actually, Overwatch is a “live game”. The teams belong to specific cities. The matches are supposed to be held live as a spectacle – Corona made this impossible for 2 years.
- On the other hand, it is supposed to be the first season where Overwatch 2 is played, the new sequel of the game. Initial beta tests are ongoing.
- The Overwatch League is a huge investment for the participating teams. After all, the teams had to buy into the league for several million US dollars. After the Corona years, it is important for the league to become a commercial success now. First, the hype around Fortnite was a problem, then Corona; now the league should really take off.
This is the problem: As reported by the Washington Post, Blizzard has not found any sponsors yet two months before the start of the season. Big names like Coca-Cola, Kellogg’s, and State Farm have paused their advertising deals with the Overwatch League following the sexism scandal in the summer of 2021.
None of these sponsors plan to advertise with the league again, according to the companies’ responses to the Post’s inquiry. Comcast, the internet service provider of last season, has no plans to work with Blizzard either.
None of the companies explicitly state that it is due to the sexism scandal, but this assumption is compelling. So far, Blizzard has not listed any sponsors for the Overwatch League 2022.
Blizzard says: Overwatch League should now usher in a “new era”
This is what Blizzard says: In response to the Post’s inquiry, Blizzard states that they are “still in talks with potential partners,” not only with old sponsors but also with new ones.
According to the head of Overwatch 2, players are already practicing with an early version of the sequel. They are receiving a lot of feedback. Everything is going better than ever before.
Season 5 is supposed to be the season with which the Overwatch League transitions into a “new era”.
Overwatch League plagued by many problems
This is what’s behind it: If you believe the director of Overwatch 2, the signs at Blizzard are all pointing towards a new beginning. However, the news coming from Blizzard does not align with this:
- With Jeff Kaplan, “The head” of Overwatch 2 has left.
- For Overwatch 2, the development of the well-running part 1 was shelved for years.
- Professionals are already complaining about Overwatch 2 because of the reduction from 6 players to 5 players per team, making “off-tanks” unemployed.
- The long-time casters of the game are complaining that they have heard nothing from the league and are left in the dark.
But according to Blizzard, everything is apparently going super well.
Overwatch: Blizzard shows caster after 5 years the cold shoulder – “Frustrating”
