Former director of Overwatch: I haven't played this game even once since leaving Blizzard

This article was written for the first time on the website Gimfa Gimfa: news, reviews of games, cinema, movies and series in the link of the former director of Overwatch: I have not visited this game even once since I left Blizzard. Jeff Kaplan, the former director of Overwatch, says that since leaving Blizzard in 2021, he has neither experienced the game nor even looked up its name on the Internet. He spent years of his professional life making this magazine

Jeff Kaplan, the former director of Overwatch, says that since leaving Blizzard in 2021, he has neither experienced the game nor even looked up its name on the Internet. He, who spent years of his professional life building this collection, prefers to distance himself from the past and focus on his new projects.

Kaplan left the company in April 2021, after nearly 19 years of work at Blizzard; A decision made during the development of Overwatch 2. In a recent interview with GameSpot, he talked about life after leaving the series and the emotional impact of abandoning a project that was once such an important part of his identity.

To better explain his feelings, he mentioned a similar experience he went through years ago when he took a break from World of Warcraft. In 2008, Kaplan was no longer involved with this game as before; A work that had a special place both in his personal life and in his professional activity. Even while playing, he wrote down the ideas and changes he wanted to share with his colleagues the next day.

Kaplan said about the impact of this experience:

Leaving World of Warcraft was a huge emotional shock for me; Because this game was an important part of my identity and the image I had of myself. In fact, this game was an important part of my identity as a game developer.

This experience showed him that being separated from a project for which he has spent years of time and energy can be more than a job change. However, when it came to Overwatch, Kaplan was more than prepared to deal with such situations.

He explained the difference between these two experiences:

I was more than ready to ditch Overwatch. Leaving World of Warcraft was more painful for me than leaving Overwatch.

Kaplan then mentioned the method he took to disconnect from the game; An approach that he himself describes as separation without emotional involvement:

In the case of Overwatch, my detachment was almost clinical, given my experience with World of Warcraft. Since April 2021, I haven't really played the game once.

Interestingly, the last image that Kaplan has of Overwatch is from when the character Echo was added to the game. Since then, he has not only not played the game, but also not followed its news and changes.

Kaplan said about his decision to stay away from the virtual space related to this series:

For my sanity, I don't read Reddit forums. After I said goodbye to Overwatch's competitive section and its Reddit community, I never went back to read content. I don't watch YouTube videos. I'm not looking for my name in connection with Overwatch; I'm not even looking for Overwatch itself. Somehow I've completely lost touch.

He even tries to inform content recommendation algorithms about his disinterest in this game; In explaining this, Kaplan said:

To the algorithms: Yeah, I'm not really into Overwatch anymore. I know you think I'm the guy known for Overwatch, but that's not about me anymore.

Of course, taking a break from the game does not mean forgetting the good memories of the past. Kaplan still considers some moments of his time at Blizzard to be among the most memorable experiences of his life. He mentioned the 2014 Blizcon ceremony; The event where Overwatch was introduced for the first time.

Sometimes I experience very emotional moments; For example, when I see a picture of Blizcon 2014, the event where we introduced Overwatch. You know, that day has been one of the most special days of my life to this day.

However, he does not intend to define his entire career by past successes. To explain this point of view, Kaplan mentioned the character of Uncle Rico in the movie Napoleon Dynamite; A character who keeps talking about his past prime and watching old videos of himself. He doesn't want to become a person who always lives in the memories of the past.

Kaplan is now working on The Legend of California; An open-world online first-person shooter set in a different version of California during the Gold Rush.

This project has provided him with an opportunity to pursue an independent creative path after working for one of the biggest companies in the game industry for years.

Kaplan's position on Overwatch is clear: he considers the game a part of his professional past, and believes that its true ownership now rests with the development team and the players. His decision to cut ties with this collection is more than a sign of disinterest in past achievements, it is an attempt to maintain the boundary between his previous professional life and the future he wants to build for himself.