In a podcast with Lex Fridman, Jeff Kaplan, former Overwatch lead director, discussed Overwatch's development struggles and explained why he left the company. It’s unfortunate and terrible.
“Where [Overwatch League] got away from us was there was a lot of excitement about Overwatch League—like, too much so—and then it got overmarketed to the people buying the teams,” Kaplan said. “They went on this roadshow where they had a deck, basically—and you can put anything in a deck and sell anything. And they were pretty much selling the Brooklyn Bridge; that Overwatch League was going to be more popular than the NFL.”
He continued: “And we got a bunch of billionaire investors in these teams. And when 2018 started, like for example, the day I got back, they said ‘We signed this huge deal with Twitch for streaming of Overwatch League,’ like a media rights deal. And that means that here’s all these commitments we made for Overwatch League of like in-game stuff that had to exist. Like a lot of it was integration with Twitch and camera control and that kind of stuff. The other part of it was a bunch of skins and, you know, uniforms for all the teams, which was not just getting the art in the game, but there was huge technical challenges to, like, how all that worked and was efficient and hit the right, you know, memory footprint and all of that kind of stuff.
“And so all of your plans at that point kind of go out the window. Like you’re not gonna work on new world events. You’re not really even focused on Overwatch 2, you’re just kind of treading water.”
Later in the conversation, Kaplan said: “Overwatch League was the best intention. You know my parents always said the road to hell is paved with good intentions. That was the Overwatch League, and it ended up being an albatross. And then Overwatch 2 was the same thing.”
That led to his conversation about leaving Blizzard. Kaplan explained: “What ultimately broke me in my Blizzard career was I got called into the CFO’s office, and he sits me down, and he says—he gives me a date, which at the time was 2020, and was going to slip to 2021, but at the time it was 2020. And he said ‘Overwatch has to make [redacted dollar amount due to NDA] in 2020. And then every year after that it needs recurring revenue of [bleep].’”
“And then he says to me, ‘If it doesn’t do [bleep] dollars, we’re going to lay off 1,000 people, and that’s going to be on you.’ And that was just the biggest f*** you moment I had in my career.”
Kaplan later points out that the CFO left Blizzard.
No wonder Team 4 cancelled PvE, and Overwatch felt dry until they released Stadium and Reign of Talon. It’s a reminder that if something seems unexpected or suspicious, it’s likely there’s something going on behind the scenes.
But Blizzard said they’re aiming for another 10 years of Overwatch. That seems possible, especially now that Team 4 is likely more stable, and Bobby Kotick and the old CFO are out. Maybe Blizzard’s resources can grow to a point that PvE can be a possibility.
When we thought Overwatch was stale, Team 4 was working behind the scenes to create Stadium. Once the excitement of Stadium wore off, they gave us Vendetta. Oh, but we were supposed to get a tank hero, not DPS! They’re screwing with the fans! Suddenly, Team 4 drops five new heroes, and one of the most fun tanks. They’re also dropping Overwatch Rush sometime in the future. Team 4 is cooking. They’re always working in the background, and they’re still working.
The future of Overwatch can’t just be new heroes, maps, and modes for the next 10 years. The universe is too rich, the characters are too great, and there’s so much potential to engage a wider audience. We know they’re working on Overwatch Rush, Season 2 (probably Season 3, also), and the OWCS. By putting Overwatch on mobile, they’re expanding their reach. Leaning further and further into PvP makes sense. It gives current players what they want, but it simultaneously makes a bigger splash if Blizzard launches a PvE. Besides, in the long term, PvP can only go so far. Even Riot Games is delving into PvE with League of Legends by creating an MMO.
Blizzard is exploring again—story, modes, different entertainment mediums. I can’t imagine they aren’t at least considering PvE. It’s a new way to engage fans, more inviting than PvP, and could extend—or even secure—Overwatch’s existence.
It’s unfortunate that Jeff Kaplan left the company, and to hear how the Overwatch League destroyed much of the early potential, but Team 4 seems to be getting its footing back. If the goal is another 10 years, there’s hope PvE could become a reality.
