Jeff Kaplan says there was ‘constant fighting’ between him and Blizzard years before he left
From exec interference to paywalled Overwatch heroes, Jeff Kaplan says he had many reasons to leave Blizzard
Former Overwatch lead Jeff Kaplan has shed more light on why he left Blizzard in 2021.
Speaking on the Gaming World Interviews YouTube channel, Kaplan dives into his later years at Blizzard, specifically from 2018 onwards. He says that he effectively lost control of Overwatch‘s ongoing development during this time, and agreed with fans who were complaining about the state of the game.
“Overwatch 2016 and 2017, anything you loved or hated, if you’re mad about some hero ability or whatever, I’m more than happy to take the heat,” Kaplan says.
“After 2018, my comment is more like, I’m right there with you, man. In fact, I walked out the door. What did you do? I gave up a 19-year career at Blizzard to say, ‘I think this is bullshit.'”
He says that from 2018 onwards, there was “constant fighting with the executive staff about the direction of the game”. Specifically, he says he was vocally against the decision to announce Overwatch 2 in 2019.
“I’m like, what are we doing? We don’t really know what this game is. We don’t know what the business model is. This is a huge mistake,” Kaplan recalls.
“And also, it was really lame. Why would we be doing this at the exact same time as Diablo 4? Either let Overwatch have a moment or let Diablo have a moment.”
Kaplan pins this on the change in leadership around this time. While he doesn’t blame anyone by name, J. Allen Brack took over as president in 2018 – exactly when Kaplan says that these issues began. Furthermore, Kaplan clarifies that he had no issues with Brack’s predecessor, Mike Morhaime.
“They had a lot to prove as new executives,” Kaplan explains. “They wanted to prove that Blizzard’s back and Blizzard still has it. And I’m like, you guys are fucking idiots, you know?”
He also accuses Blizzard of mandating paywalled heroes: “They also were trying to get me to sell heroes. That was a line I was not willing to break. It was the craziest mandate.”
We got this in some form when Overwatch 2 launched. Here, new heroes had to be unlocked in the new battle pass, but they would be unlocked on the first tier of a paid battle pass. Anyone on the free battle pass would have to grind much longer, putting them at a disadvantage, particularly in competitive mode. This was later phased out, and now all new heroes are unlocked instantly.
Overwatch appears to be in a slightly better place now – albeit with very costly skins. Much of the leadership that Kaplan butted heads with likely lost their jobs after the scandal in 2021, in which Activision Blizzard was sued over allegations of sexual harassment and discrimination by the State of California. This was eventually settled for $54 million in 2023. J. Allen Brack was among those who stepped down.
