Lego is one of the most popular toy brands in the world, as the building blocks are not only a favorite of parents and children but of many adults who enjoy getting a box here and there as a collectible item. Since they’re so popular across many different ages it means that Lego has a large variety of sets to choose from and has licensing partnerships throughout the world of entertainment. We of course have our standard Lego blocks, but we also have Star Wars, Marvel, and numerous other officially licensed sets, including in the world of video games. Among the video games that have their own Lego sets is Overwatch which has a strong partnership with Lego to the point that Overwatch even has a dedicated page on the Lego website.
However, that partnership could be changing in the near future. As of this moment, Activision Blizzard is still in multiple lawsuits and investigations due to allegations throughout the company of abuse and poor working conditions. One of the primary demands by employees at the company has been the removal of Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick, who currently remains in his position.
With Kotick remaining in his position, despite numerous allegations, companies like PlayStation and Xbox have hinted that this could harm future partnerships with the developer. However, while those statements were made internally, Lego has come out publicly and said that it is currently evaluating its partnership with Activision Blizzard due to its response to those workplace allegations. It has also delayed a set that was meant to coincide with the upcoming Overwatch 2. Via The Brick Fan:
We are currently reviewing our partnership with Activision Blizzard, given concerns about the progress being made to address continuing allegations regarding workplace culture, especially the treatment of female colleagues and creating a diverse and inclusive environment. While we complete the review, we will pause the release of a LEGO Overwatch 2 product which was due to go on sale on February 1, 2022.
With Activision Blizzard currently showing no signs of changing how it handled the allegations against it, and just plowing ahead, we wonder if more companies will soon follow suit and apply pressure themselves.