Jeff Kaplan hasn’t played Overwatch since April 2021
Jeff Kaplan says he hasn’t played Overwatch since April 2021 and is deliberately keeping his distance from the game and its online discussion.
- Kaplan describes his distance from Overwatch as a “very almost clinical separation” and says he doesn’t read Overwatch subreddits, watch YouTube videos, or search for Overwatch or his own name.
- According to the provided sources, Kaplan is working on a new project after leaving Blizzard, previously referred to as The Legend of California.
What happened
Jeff Kaplan said in an interview that he has not played Overwatch since April 2021. That lines up with his departure from Blizzard, where he reportedly worked for nearly 20 years and served for years as the public face of Overwatch.
Kaplan describes his distance from the game as a “very almost clinical separation.” In the same context, he says he deliberately avoids Overwatch content on subreddits and YouTube, and does not search for Overwatch or for his own name alongside the game.
The sources place those comments alongside his earlier Blizzard career. Kaplan also refers to leaving the World of Warcraft team in 2008, after six years on the project, and says in the source that that departure felt harder than leaving Overwatch.
After his Blizzard years, Kaplan is linked in the provided sources to a new project, The Legend of California, though no confirmed details are given about the studio, genre, or release date.
Timeline
2008 — Kaplan leaves the World of Warcraft team after six years on the project, according to the source.
April 2021 — Kaplan leaves Blizzard and later says he has not played Overwatch since then.
2021 — The provided sources link his Blizzard departure to nearly two decades of service.
After April 2021 — Kaplan says he does not read Overwatch subreddits, watch YouTube videos, or search for Overwatch or his own name.
After his Blizzard period — The sources connect Kaplan to The Legend of California, but provide no further confirmed project details.
Background
Jeff Kaplan was the former director of Overwatch and one of the game’s best-known faces. According to the provided sources, he first worked on World of Warcraft and later on Overwatch, both at Blizzard Entertainment.
The World of Warcraft comparison also comes up in the interview. Kaplan says in the source that leaving that team in 2008 was more painful than his departure from Overwatch in 2021.
The phrase “clinical separation” is the standout quote in the provided information. Kaplan uses it to explain why he no longer has an active connection to Overwatch content and avoids the online discussion around the game.