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Jeffrey Kaplan is an American video game designer and former vice president of Blizzard Entertainment, a position he held until he left the company in 2021. He designed elements of World of Warcraft and is the former lead director of Overwatch.
Jul 11, 2023 · Jeff Kaplan, the renowned game developer and former Game Director of Overwatch, has left many fans wondering what he is up to these days. After his departure from Blizzard Entertainment in April 2021, where he spent over 19 years shaping the landscape of the gaming industry, Kaplan has embarked on a new chapter in his career.
- Kaplan leaves after almost 20 years.
- Overwatch 2: Rome and New York Maps Screenshots
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By Matt Kim
Updated: Aug 17, 2021 12:08 am
Posted: Apr 20, 2021 5:29 pm
Jeff Kaplan, the director of Overwatch, has announced he is leaving Blizzard Entertainment after nearly 20 years with the company.
In a personal message, Kaplan announced his departure from Blizzard Entertainment after 19 years. You can read his full letter below.
Greetings, Overwatch Community,
Kaplan joined Blizzard in 2002 where he started as a designer on World of Warcraft, developing quests for the upcoming MMORPG. He eventually was credited as a game director on WoW. In 2009, Kaplan spearheaded an unannounced project at Blizzard called Titan, a first-person shooter game.
Unfortunately, Titan never came together and was officially canceled in 2014. However, Kaplan and members of the Titan team took ideas from the game and redesigned them into a team-based hero shooter now known as Overwatch.
Overwatch has been incredibly successful since its launch. With over 50 million players and numerous Game of the Year awards, Overwatch helped reinvigorate the hero shooter genre. Overwatch also spawned off its own dedicated esports series the Overwatch League which spearheaded city-based teams mirroring traditional sports leagues.
Blizzard is also developing the sequel Overwatch 2, a game designed to introduce a single-player component that fleshes out the beloved heroes of Overwatch. Though new PvP maps and heroes will still be released for both Overwatch 1 and 2.
As for the future of Overwatch 2, you can read Keller’s full letter below:
Greetings, Overwatch Community,
Jeff Kaplan, the creator of Overwatch, announces his departure from Blizzard after 19 years. His successor, Aaron Keller, promises to continue the development of Overwatch 2 and the live game.
Apr 21, 2021 · Jeff Kaplan, Overwatch's former Game Director and a 19-year veteran of Blizzard Entertainment, was a vital and innovative powerhouse during his time at the company.
- Matt Purslow
Apr 20, 2021 · After 19 years at Blizzard, Jeff Kaplan departs as the public face of Overwatch and its sequel. Aaron Keller, assistant game director, takes over the role and promises more updates on Overwatch 2.
Feb 19, 2021 · Jeff Kaplan talks about Overwatch 2's release date, PvE and PvP content, cross-play, and more in this exclusive interview with IGN. Find out how Blizzard plans to deliver on the expectations of a sequel and keep the community together.
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Apr 22, 2021 · The former lead designer and public face of Overwatch bids farewell to the community after almost two decades with Blizzard. Fans share their tributes, jokes and concerns about the future of Overwatch 2 and the Overwatch team.
