Overwatch, Rainbow Capitalism & Post-Woke Class Conciousness.

Last month it came out that the company was being sued by the US government for incentivizing private eSports clubs to cap the income brought in by its players.

Today marks the first day of Pride, which is celebrated every June in the US. Activision-Blizzard Games, the publisher of Overwatch, stands accused of engaging in Rainbow Capitalism. Last month, it was revealed that the company was being sued by the US government for allegedly incentivizing private eSports clubs to cap the income earned by its players. This accusation follows a lengthy series of controversies. Just last year, Blizzard was obliged to pay a hefty $35 million to employees who alleged sexual harassment. The company has also faced accusations of union-busting, workplace sexism, and generally poor business practices.

The manner in which Blizzard's PR team has addressed this controversy is intriguing. In early April, on the very day news broke of the company's government lawsuit, information about a new pansexual, genderqueer character of color was leaked. This timing was considered by many to be more than just a coincidence.

Indeed, some fans have observed that Overwatch tends to employ such tactics either to divert attention from ongoing legal issues or to capitalize on Pride month.

Generally, a major video game company embracing LGBTQ+ characters would be regarded as a sign of progress. Over the past two decades, the Gay rights movement in the US has gained substantial momentum, with same-sex marriage becoming legalized and public attitudes towards gay and queer individuals trending positively.

However, this progress has not been without scrutiny. Debates about the ethics of kink at Pride have taken center stage, and with the conservative pushback against these social changes, it's clear that there is still a long way to go.

In recent years, one discussion has revolved around the use of Rainbow Capitalism. This refers to when large corporations cash in on Pride month by emblazoning their products with giant rainbows, without addressing LGBTQ+ issues during the rest of the year.

The latest controversy involving Activision-Blizzard perfectly illustrates my primary concern with Rainbow Capitalism and modern mainstream activist culture: it's largely about appearances.

A few months ago, I found Chris Hedges' 'Woke Imperialism' an engaging read. In this essay, Hedges argues that liberals have adopted identity politics, advocating for diversity, equity, and inclusion as a response to the 2008 financial crisis. DEI initiatives and Rainbow Capitalist tactics do not offend Wall Street. They also enable companies like Blizzard to distract the public from their workers' labor conditions.

I believe that diversity is inherently beneficial. As many LGBTQ+ individuals have expressed, it's exciting to see Overwatch introduce this new character. Overall, we should all strive for a more inclusive society. The challenge lies in embracing an ideology that includes class consciousness. A new Black Little Mermaid is delightful, and I am genuinely thrilled about it. However, it isn't going to address the Black femicide crisis. Similarly, Overwatch introducing Lifeweaver is fantastic, but we should not allow companies to divert our attention from reality with 'woke' trinkets.