Jeff Kaplan (OW director, former WoW director) leaves Blizzard

[Metaslave]

He left like 5 years ago.

Isn't he working on their unannounced project?

[Swnem]

Future of Blizz sure is looking sketchy.

We'll see if theres people who will float the boat. But, the company sure has lost it's shine.

[Slowpoke is a Gamer]

Director leaving while a game is in the middle of development definitely doesn't seem normal to me. Makes me wonder how bad Activision's been meddling in Overwatch 2 to drive him away.

[Teriz]

I largely ignored the conspiracy stuff, but after this, I'm starting to seriously wonder what's going on over at Blizzard.

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Director leaving while a game is in the middle of development definitely doesn't seem normal to me. Makes me wonder how bad Activision's been meddling in Overwatch 2 to drive him away.

Yep, I have the same concerns. Very strange for this to be happening, because Jeff loved working on Overwatch.

[Holdodlig]

He left like 5 years ago.

He did not. He left WoW team, but still works at Blizzard.

As for the old school Blizzard, I guess they still have Metzen as a voice actor and Samwise still working for them.

Now, let's see if he's going to join DreamHaven. If he's joining their team, I guess we might see something great from them, or something really oldschoolblizzardish.

[lockybalboa]

Yeah, FBs keep telling me all is sweet and rosy when someone as major as Kaplan also leaves, totally with countless others in the recent few years.

[Mendzia]

Isn't he working on their unannounced project?

https://blizzardwatch.com/2016/10/13...orld-warcraft/

Just checked and he left WoW team (my bad!) in 2016... and i do not think we have heared anything about him since then...
Sooo... i dunno... maybe he is still here?...

[Nyel]

All these people leave and Ion sticks to his chair...

[tikcol]

Good for him

[stoffe]

All this people leaving, but the true person we want to leave is Ion.

[NotTrolling]

All these people leave and Ion sticks to his chair...

Ion is a company man, does exactly what his Activision overlords tell him to do.

[Metaslave]

Director leaving while a game is in the middle of development definitely doesn't seem normal to me. Makes me wonder how bad Activision's been meddling in Overwatch 2 to drive him away.

Maybe I'm nitpicky but his goodbye message is in all lower caps as well, seems a bit weird imo.

[Very Tired]

I betting some more disagreements with Activision in there, and yeah it's a big deal as he's pretty much the face of Overwatch. I remember hearing how they didn't even like calling it 'Overwatch 2' for what is, at best, a number of content patches delayed for the main game then released all at once, but they had to strictly for marketing purposes.

[Kallisto]

I don’t blame them all for leaving.

Hopefully they go to ethically better companies.

I’d like to support the talented developers, without supporting people like Kotick and Activision board.

Ethically better companies?

All companies are money whoring pieces of shit. Doesn't matter if it is a mega corp with a 100 floor HQ in the big city or some mom and pop store down the street. They all want the money and will do what they need to to get as much of it as humanly possible. Capitalism 101.

If any company is being ethical it's because it needs to be for a temporarily amount of time. But put a few extra $$$ in their way they'll change their tune.

[Unlimited Power]

On to (creatively) greener pastures I'm sure. Wonder if we'll see him join Mike Morhaime's Dreamhaven studios like a lot of other Blizzard old guard.

[Zenfoldor]

Wow, Blizzard was once considered one of the best developers. I guess things change.

[Kallisto]

All these people leave and Ion sticks to his chair...

Ion is not in charge. People need to get off the horse that the game director is the head honcho in producing a game. Producers are above directors and executive producer when making a game is pretty much as high as you get before you enter the corporate part of it.

John Hight is the person you want to look at and he's been lead producer since starting work on MoP.

[Cosmic Janitor]

I betting some more disagreements with Activision in there, and yeah it's a big deal as he's pretty much the face of Overwatch. I remember hearing how they didn't even like calling it 'Overwatch 2' for what is, at best, a number of content patches delayed for the main game then released all at once, but they had to strictly for marketing purposes.

They should at least have called it an expansion, as that is what the game actually is.

[megasus]

Why was this thread moved, it's like someone don't want this news to be on the front page here lmao

I guess to make room for the official MMOC news thread

[Edge-]

Why was this thread moved, it's like someone don't want this news to be on the front page here lmao

Because it fits in the OW forums, not the VG forums. There's no secret motivation, just putting things where they go.