Overwatch 2 LEGO Set On Hold Just Before Release

I won’t do a full rundown and catch-up on the whole Activision-Blizzard mess that came to light in the latter portion of last year. However, I will say that last July, a detailed lawsuit was brought against the developer/publisher of Call of Duty, Overwatch, and many other games, citing rampant sexual misconduct in the workplace alongside a “culture” that is not fit for said workplace. Since then, settlements were agreed and argued, staff left and so did sponsors while executives stepped down from positions. While I may not be covering the companies misgivings daily, problems are still rife within the developmental studios and QA departments.

The latest issue the company faces is the partnership with The LEGO Group. The current Overwatch 2 set, which was meant to release on February 2nd, won’t be released as scheduled. At the current time, LEGO Group, the ones behind the things Americans keep putting a needless S after, is “reviewing our partnership.” In the statement handed to Brick Fanatics, a Lego spokesperson said: “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.”

The spokesperson went on to say, “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.” The 76980 set Titan being put on hold this late into production, less than a month away now, is a strange decision given the issues with Activision-Blizzard have been so long-standing. Despite this, like every man-child that hasn’t grown-up enjoying LEGO (see, no S!) for years, I can’t say with certainty how long it should take for something like this to be in production. Though, I am sure there are a few sets in boxes that will find their way into the wild.

Brick Fanatics shares this question, noting that undoubtedly there will have been some production done following the lawsuit’s very public outing. Another question I have over this pending release is simply, when does Overwatch 2 actually release? We know that the game was delayed back in November due to the ongoing legal hurdles the company faces. So why is a LEGO set being released when the game might not even release this year? Ultimately, the answer is probably simple: It was once scheduled for May or June at the latest, but delays will probably push it to early 2023. Meanwhile, the LEGO set was already in production for this year.