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Jeff Kaplan is an American video game designer and former vice president of Blizzard Entertainment. He worked on World of Warcraft, Titan, and Overwatch, and left the company in 2021.
Jul 11, 2023 · Learn about the career transition of Jeff Kaplan, the former Game Director of Overwatch, who left Blizzard Entertainment in 2021. Find out what he is up to now, what projects he is working on, and what fans can expect from his next move.
- Kaplan leaves after almost 20 years.
- Overwatch 2: Rome and New York Maps Screenshots
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,
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.
Apr 21, 2021 · A tribute to Jeff Kaplan, the former Game Director of Overwatch and World of Warcraft, who left Blizzard in 2021. Learn about his achievements, innovations, and legacy in the gaming industry.
- Matt Purslow
Apr 20, 2021 · After 19 years at Blizzard, Jeff Kaplan departs as the leader of Overwatch and Overwatch 2. His replacement, Aaron Keller, promises more updates on the sequel's development and vision.
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Feb 19, 2021 · Posted: Feb 19, 2021 11:41 pm. Despite today's Overwatch 2 Behind-the-Scenes panel revealing a glut of new details about the game, there's still a lot to discuss about Blizzard's shooter sequel....
