Jeff Kaplan Leaving Blizzard - New Leadership for Overwatch

[sensei]

He left now because the bonuses got paid out (duh).

He is probably going to pick up a job with those other ex-blizzard folks.

Maybe, or maybe he's just done and wants to enjoy life. He apparently was making a 6 figure income and lives in a million dollar home. He's 48, has a wife and can still enjoy his money. He's not like many of us where we are stuck working because if we don't, the bills don't get paid. I'm 2 years younger than Jeff, and I have a snowball's chance in hell of being able to just stop working and not ending up homeless.

[HansOlo]

Hope he goes too dreamhaven too like the rest i want to see what they can make.

As of now - they making a good public show - unfortunately, not one of those that is professionally ethic or for any good in the sector.

[La]

You'd think Blizzard = WoW with half the posts in this thread. This is a guy who works for Blizzard, who worked on WoW in the best times, that has been working with OW/OW2. Yet, here is everyone making comments about WoW. What? I don't think it's a coincidence Blizzard has been shedding a lot of its main talent for the past couple of years now. It was most certainly a combination of many things that would make Jeff quit, but generally speaking you don't just quit like this before the game you're working on, that has yet to be released, Overwatch 2, is released. It's the equivalent of Metzen and the others quitting before Legion released, and leaving it not fully complete. That's a big change before something is released, although if OW2 is mostly complete, then he may have felt it fine to step down, which could also be true, but with the game being delayed, my guess is that is not the case

[Niwes]

slowly all original wow/blizz main contributors seems to be done. always asked myself how long it takes until Kaplan leaves, after all the other ppls in his blizz „age bracket“.

bye Jeff and thx for all the fish (especially the 2005 wow fish).

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Maybe, or maybe he's just done and wants to enjoy life. He apparently was making a 6 figure income and lives in a million dollar home. He's 48, has a wife and can still enjoy his money. He's not like many of us where we are stuck working because if we don't, the bills don't get paid. I'm 2 years younger than Jeff, and I have a snowball's chance in hell of being able to just stop working and not ending up homeless.

xactly this. same here

[pewpmeiser]

Look all these wonderful neckbeard armchair experts pretending they know things.

[ThatsOurEric]

I will miss Jeff, but his ability to run Overwatch wasn't flawless.

[Kaleredar]

Cue the MMO-Champion comment section version of Baghdad Bob to ensure us all everything is of course totally fine at Blizzard

I mean... they've worked at this company for like 25 years now. Some of them 30. Jeff was almost 20.

Sometimes, people want to switch from the same company they've worked at for potentially three decades.

[dDic]

I guess that's the end of Dinoflask as well.

[ashblond]

lol here's someone who's literally never held a job apparently. Sometimes you just move on

LOL. Yea, after 20 years, He and his old colleagues all decided to leave Blizzard at the same time.

I am sure there is nothing wrong about Blizzard. Those people just all want to "move on" at the same time.

100% logic.

[Mojo03]

To me, it sounds a lot like they let him go by the vibe in his statement and the official release statement.

Obviously I have no idea why, but I wouldn't be surprised if he wouldn't bend on something or made a harsh criticism and upper management didn't like it.

He seems like the outspoken, stubborn, passionate artist type from seeing him talk at Blizzcon.

Hopefully him and more like him leave that corporate shit hole and go to Dreamhaven or a better company.

[SinR]

so when is Ion hanging up the sword?

[ercarp]

So many big names have left Blizzard over the past two years or so. It makes you wonder what's going on behind closed doors.

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so when is Ion hanging up the sword?

Do we even know who would take over as Game Director for WoW if Ion left? John Hight?

[SinR]

So many big names have left Blizzard over the past two years or so. It makes you wonder what's going on behind closed doors.

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Do we even know who would take over as Game Director for WoW if Ion left? John Hight?

I mean...

It can't be worse...

Right?

[oldgeezer]

Alt headline: Very wealthy individual leaves company after 20 years, Internet shits itself.

[Cosmic Janitor]

Do we even know who would take over as Game Director for WoW if Ion left? John Hight?

Isn't he technically already above him?

[Gadzooks]

I agree with you, it's odd that Kaplan would leave at a critical time for OW2. But this is the first time out of all the devs leaving that it's been a bit more suspect.

Afrasiabi leaving last summer with no fanfare or PR release like this is very suspect, and points to him being fired. A lot of people are unaware he left the company to this day.

Losing Kaplan is a big deal, no matter how you look at it. While I didn't play Overwatch, the game overall had a certain charm and appeal to it, and I suspect that will be changing in a hurry with new leadership. I get that people leave, but you'd think he'd put OW2 to bed before handing in his keycard, ya know?

Anyway, best wishes to him. He had a hell of a run - helped create some iconic games, and helped pull Overwatch out of the ashes of Titan. I'm sure he'll end up somewhere that he can do more great work - he's got a hell of a resume.

I don't believe that it's impossible for people working at Blizzard or might work there in the future aren't capable of the same kind of work Jeff and others contributed, but these days, it's hard to see the results at that level. Sad. Oh well!

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Do we even know who would take over as Game Director for WoW if Ion left? John Hight?

The way things have been going, they'll make Holinka the new game director.

Yeah, I just threw up a little, too.

[Raven]

Isn't he technically already above him?

Yes he is.

[Lorgar Aurelian]

LOL. Yea, after 20 years, He and his old colleagues all decided to leave Blizzard at the same time.

I am sure there is nothing wrong about Blizzard. Those people just all want to "move on" at the same time.

100% logic.

It’s been over 5 years(arguably longer) its not all at the same time.

[Ielenia]

You don't quit your job suddenly when you're in the middle of a huge project (I.E. creating a sequel to a billion dollar franchise) unless there's serious problems behind the scenes.

Can you give me examples of people in the gaming industry who would say on Twitter something like "hey guys, just so everyone knows, I'll be leaving the company in a few months for now. Just so no one gets taken by surprise by me leaving" or anything to that effect?

You can't. Because people don't do that. People don't just give "advance notice" to the public about them leaving their current job in the near future. They just do it. It's always sudden for us, but more often than not, it's not suddenly for those working in the company.

In other words, do you know if Jeff hasn't planned to leave Blizzard for quite some time now to pursue other venues, and if his leave has anything to do with the perceived state of the company?

[Amerissis]

I’ve worked at one company with about 600 employees for almost 15 years. In the end, there were 3 people who were there longer than me, including the owner, and everyone else left and got replaced over the years. Why are people always shocked when someone leaves a company after 10, 15, 20 years?