Former Overwatch Director Breaks Silence About Sudden Departure From Blizzard Jeff Kaplan, the former director of the original Overwatch, has spoken publicly for the first time since his abrupt departure from Blizzard in 2021. In an interview with Lex Fridman’s podcast, Kaplan detailed the circumstances surrounding his exit, which occurred after nearly two decades at the company. His comments shed light on the pressures faced by the development team during the creation of Overwatch 2, particularly the financial expectations imposed by Activision Blizzard’s leadership. Kaplan described how the situation deteriorated due to the demands of the professional Overwatch League esports competition. When the company failed to meet investor expectations, the responsibility was shifted to the development team, creating intense pressure to deliver Overwatch 2 on time. He recounted a pivotal moment during a meeting with the CFO, who set aggressive financial targets for the game. The CFO informed Kaplan that Overwatch needed to generate a specific revenue figure in 2020, with recurring annual targets thereafter. Failure to meet these goals would result in layoffs, a threat Kaplan called the “biggest f**k you moment” of his career. Despite his deep connection to Blizzard, Kaplan ultimately decided to leave the company. He expressed regret over the situation but acknowledged that the pressure was unsustainable. He also noted that the same CFO, Dennis Durkin, who oversaw the company from 2019 to May 2021, was no longer in his position, which he described as “luckily for Blizzard.” Kaplan’s departure coincided with significant changes to Overwatch 2. The game recently dropped the “2” from its title, with Blizzard president Johanna Faries stating the name should reflect the game’s “timeless” nature.#jeff_kaplan #dennis_durkin #lex_fridman #activision_blizzard #blizzard_president
Overwatch Director Jeff Kaplan Explains Why He Left Blizzard Jeff Kaplan, a 19-year veteran of Blizzard Entertainment, abruptly left the company in 2021. At the time, he was the director of Overwatch, Blizzard’s most successful new franchise in years, and departed two years before the sequel was released. Nearly five years later, he finally revealed the reasons behind his departure, citing corporate mismanagement and the intense pressure to generate massive profits. The original Overwatch launched in 2016 amid widespread hype and became a major success. Kaplan explained that his initial goal was to focus on post-launch updates, such as new world events and content. However, Blizzard’s push into competitive gaming shifted priorities. The creation of the Overwatch League, a franchise-based esports system where teams were sold for millions, became a central focus. Kaplan described this venture as a “house of cards” that failed to deliver the projected $125 million in revenue. The league was eventually shut down in 2023, leaving team owners without the promised profits. This failure led to increased pressure to monetize the game through in-game microtransactions to boost esports revenue. Resources that could have been used for new content and maintaining the game’s dynamic nature were instead directed toward monetization strategies. Kaplan criticized this shift, calling the Overwatch League an “albatross” that ultimately harmed the franchise. Kaplan also faced challenges in developing a sequel. The original vision for Overwatch 2 included a significant emphasis on player-versus-environment (PVE) content to complement the competitive player-versus-player (PVP) mode.#overwatch #jeff_kaplan #blizzard_entertainment #overwatch_league #dennis_durkin
