Talk about hitting them while they’re down!
Overwatch is a game that has prided itself in signaling virtue at every convenient point without ever doing anything that could draw ire from China or other despotic governments. The game has the (arguably) two greatest heroes both being homosexual (Tracer and Soldier 76), there are rainbow avatar images available, and western-only comics have depicted the characters in ways that indicate their LGBTQ+ status. Of course, none of that has been allowed in the game in China, and Blizzard has gone so far as to ban players who stand up for human rights in Hong Kong.
Now, with the lawsuit in California, and the removal of the President of Blizzard, over the alleged abuses of women within Blizzard, Overwatch’s virtues are under the scrutiny they always deserved.
Unfortunately for the Overwatch League — the professional league set up by Activision Blizzard to showcase high level Overwatch play — that means there are going to be innocent people hurt. We’re now seeing that the Overwatch League is losing sponsors at a rapid rate. Many of these sponsors are of the same exact hypocrisy as Blizzard, however, so we probably shouldn’t be too excited. Coca-Cola, for example, has repeatedly refused to condemn China’s genocide of a religious minority when given the opportunity to do so in Congress. Yet Coke is reexamining their relationship with the Overwatch League.
That Park Place is not a political site and endorses neither major American political party or its members. TPP only uses this video to reflect that Coca-Cola representatives refuse to condemn genocide.
Yes, a soda company responsible for diabetes the world over will get away from a US company that treats maybe hundreds of women poorly… but if a source of financial wealth like China wants to eradicate millions through genocide and slavery, they’ve got nothing to say.
Ultimately, this just means that the people who had nothing to do with any of this will be hurt. J Allen Brack will almost certainly walk away with his golden parachute. The commentators, analysts, coaches, and players of the Overwatch League will walk away with far less.
Nothing quite like a stroll in the sun, a delicious iced coffee and the gut-wrenching feeling of being collateral damage of something completely out of your hands.
Happy thursday, friends. 🥲
— Soe Gschwind (@Soembie) August 5, 2021
As of publication, Kellogg’s and T-Mobile have dropped Overwatch League entirely. Coca-Cola and State Farm are reevaluating their sponsorship. That’s four of the seven total major sponsors. Given that YouTube is one of the partners, Blizzard had better hope they don’t also pull the plug… or else the only platform available for Overwatch League will also be out the door.
It’s only a shame that Activision Blizzard failed to live up to their line “the world could always use more heroes.” Hypocrisy and greed will do that to you.
