After 19 years spent with the company, the game director of Overwatch, Jeff Kaplan, has decided to leave Blizzard Entertainment.
Jeff Kaplan was a founding member of Overwatch and played a huge part in its conception and design, alongside being a long-standing member of Blizzard Entertainment. His position will be filled by Aaron Keller. Kaplan commented on his decision to depart in a statement made to the Overwatch website. “it was truly the honor of a lifetime to have the opportunity to create worlds and heroes for such a passionate audience. I want to express my deep appreciation to everyone at Blizzard who supported our games, our game teams and our players.”
Help us thank Jeff Kaplan for being the Mercy to our Genji. Thank you for always daring to see the world as it could be.
Also, help us welcome Aaron Keller as Overwatch’s new Game Director. We can’t wait to continue fighting for the future with you.
https://t.co/119g1mIh4M pic.twitter.com/w2Pmq3sBKn
— Overwatch (@PlayOverwatch) April 20, 2021
The decision of Kaplan to step down from Blizzard did raise some questions however in regards to the future of Overwatch and the planned Overwatch 2, with fans being concerned about the eventual release. Keller went on to put fans at ease. “We have exciting reveals planned for this year and beyond as we ramp to launch. We’ll be sharing more frequent updates about Overwatch 2 progress and new features in the live game with you all very soon.”
Recently Blizzard also announced that the Overwatch League would be returning to LAN starting in June, with a small tour in China. It’ll be interesting to see how the Overwatch scene continues to evolve and if Overwatch 2 can bring the changes and updates fans have been wanting.
Also read:
- The Overwatch League is returning to LAN according to Blizzard
- Overwatch League 2021: What you need to know
What are your expectations for Overwatch 2?
Image credit: Blizzard