- In a recent match, two OWL teams, Justice and Outlaws, made an agreement to donate to women-supporting charity
- Their example was followed by the Overwatch League itself
- The OWL announced it would be pledging the same amount as its teams
The Overwatch League has joined the efforts for social justice by donating to charities that fight against the mistreatment of women.
Justice and Outlaws’ Noble Initiative
Two Overwatch League teams, namely Washington Justice and Houston Outlaws, recently donated to charities that support women against harassment. Following that, the Overwatch League itself has decided to prove its goodwill by doing the same. The money will match what was donated by the two teams and will go to several organizations, all of which are dedicated to preventing sexual misconduct and help women.
The original deal between Washington Justice and Houston Outlaws came right before an OWL game where they were scheduled to play against one another. Their collaboration resulted in the “Outlaws for Justice” initiative, bearing the names of both parties. The two teams agreed to each donate a sum to the largest American nonprofit anti-sexual assault organization RAINN and made an additional bet where each time a team loses a map, it would make an additional donation to a foundation of the winner’s choosing.
Washington Justice ended up losing the game and, as a result, donated to life skills, self-esteem, trust, and social appropriateness mentoring program Big Sister Little Sister in Houston.
The size of the donations hasn’t been disclosed.
The OWL Follows Its Players’ Example
Following the noble and exemplary initiative of its teams, the Overwatch League also decided to make a donation. OWL shared that it takes a stance against any kind of discrimination or harassment. The league promises to give its best in creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels safe.
As mentioned before, the OWL will match the sums donated by Outlaws and Justice. It is crucial to the OWL to act against discrimination now, especially in light of the recent Activision Blizzard lawsuit, especially considering the latter company owns the league.
Blizzard is currently under fire by the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing after allegations of unfair treatment, and sexual misconduct against female Blizzard workers emerged. The situation has put the company in an unfavorable spot, and it wasn’t made any better by Blizzard’s dismissive demeanor on the matter.
Even Bobby Kotick, Activision Blizzard’s CEO, spoke in condemnation of how his colleagues handled the situation.
In these times of unrest, it is in Blizzard’s best interest to show that not all of their workers are discriminative and to prove it with actions, not words. The donation by the OWL is a small step in the right direction.
