Lego delays 'Overwatch 2' set amid Activision Blizzard sexual harassment scandal

engadget.com:

You can now add Lego to the list of companies re-evaluating their relationship with Activision Blizzard following allegations the company allowed senior employees to create a workplace rife with sexual harassment and abuse. In a statement spotted by The Verge, the toymaker told The Brick Fan, a site dedicated to Lego reviews, it’s delaying the release of an Overwatch 2-themed set that it had planned to release at the start of next month.

“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,” a Lego spokesperson told the outlet. “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.”

Activision Blizzard has been mired in controversy since California’s fair employment regulator filed a lawsuit against the publisher in July. According to a bombshell report The Wall Street Journal published in November, CEO Bobby Kotick knew about many of the worst incidents of sexual harassment at Activision Blizzard and, at times, acted to protect abusers at the company. In the immediate aftermath of The Journal’s reporting, Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo criticized the company, but they have yet to cut ties with it. In a recent interview with The New York Times, Xbox chief Phil Spencer said Microsoft's relationship with the publisher had changed but declined to share specifics.