The Overwatch League is facing further turmoil, according to a new report. Coca-Cola and State Farm are rethinking their partnerships with the League following a lawsuit by the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing on allegations of widespread sexual harassment and discrimination.
As reported by the Washington Post, two of the main sponsors of the Overwatch League are “rethinking” their relationship with the league. State Farm and Coca Cola, along with IBM, Xfinity, Cheez-It, Pringles, and TeamSpeak, are two of the league’s seven sponsors listed on their website.
Branded deals are one of the ways to measure success for a competitive ecosystem like the Overwatch League. The league lost T-Mobile as a sponsor on Tuesday, and it looks like more could follow soon.
In a statement to the Post, a State Farm representative said the insurance provider has “reassessed our limited marketing relationship with the Overwatch League” and requested that the company “not advertise during the games this weekend.” A Coca-Cola spokesman shared a similar opinion, saying the company is “aware of the allegations” and is working on “taking a step back for a moment to reconsider future plans and programs.”
J. Allen Brack, the head of Blizzard Entertainment, stepped down Tuesday, with Jen ONeal and Mike Ybarra taking his place as co-leaders. Jesse Meschuk, SVP and Senior People Officer at Activision-Blizzard, is also said to have left the company this week. Activision-Blizzard employees have organized themselves amid the company’s response to the lawsuit, including 2,600 signatures in an open letter from former and current employees and a strike at Blizzard’s California office and online.
Polygon has contacted Activision Blizzard for a comment and will update this post should we receive any new information.
