Activision Blizzard Is Losing Overwatch Sponsors After Lawsuit

T-Mobile appears to have pulled support for the Overwatch and Call of Duty Leagues

In the wake of a lawsuit detailing a sickening culture of harassment at Activision Blizzard, the Overwatch and Call of Duty publisher is starting to bleed sponsorships. As spotted by the esports site Dexerto, T-Mobile has apparently pulled support for the professional leagues of both games.

T-Mobile has long been a sponsor for the Overwatch and Call of Duty Leagues. And though the telecommunications giant hasn’t officially commented about a rift, most signs suggest one has occurred. Kotaku reached out to T-Mobile but did not hear back in time for publication.

As Dexerto points out, the websites for both the Overwatch and Call of Duty Leagues removed reference to T-Mobile at some point in July. On July 21, both sported the T-Mobile logo. By July 31, neither did. The 20th entry period of T-Mobile’s Call of Duty sweepstakes has quietly been canceled. What’s more, team members for the New York Subliners, a Call of Duty team, appear to have taped over the T-Mobile logo on their jerseys, which you’ve gotta admit is hilarious.

On July 20, the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing filed suit against Activision Blizzard, alleging a deep-seated systemic culture of abuse, sexual harassment, and discrimination. One troubling allegation (of many) made mention of a so-called “Cosby Suite,” a possible hotbed of misconduct at BlizzCon 2013. Last week, employees at Activision Blizzard’s campus in Irvine, CA, held a walkout; many more participated virtually in the interest of staying safe in the era of covid-19.

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