Former Overwatch chief Jeff Kaplan explained in a podcast interview why he decided to leave his game and Blizzard. He did not name a name. However, well-known industry insider Jason Schreier speaks up.
What does Jason Schreier reveal? The closely connected investigative journalist, author, and industry insider Jason Schreier posted on Bluesky. In doing so, he wants to clarify one thing regarding current reporting surrounding Blizzard and Jeff Kaplan.
Kaplan, the former Overwatch chief, broke his silence in a podcast interview with Lex Friedman on YouTube and revealed that he was given an ultimatum by a CFO of Blizzard: If Overwatch did not earn a certain amount, then 1,000 people would have to be laid off, and the blame would solely fall on Kaplan. However, Kaplan did not name a name.
Jason Schreier reacted to a post to correct the mentioned responsible person for this ultimatum:
It was not Dennis Durkin, but Armin Zerza, CFO and COO of Blizzard.
Armin Zerza served as Chief Commercial Officer at Activision Blizzard before being appointed Chief Financial Officer in April 2021 (Source: LinkedIn). This corresponds exactly to the period when Kaplan left the Overwatch team.
Schreier adds that he deals extensively with Zerza (whom he calls “perhaps the most controversial figure in Blizzard’s history”) in his book “Play Nice: The Rise, Fall, and Future of Blizzard Entertainment”.
Kaplan calls it “the biggest ‘fuck you’-moment” of his life
What did Kaplan say about his decision to leave? Kaplan revealed in the interview on YouTube that the team had to dedicate more and more resources to the league due to false expectations regarding the launch of the Overwatch League.
He states himself that, accordingly, other plans for Overwatch 2 were thrown out the window
and the team was simply treading water. New game content lost priority in order to create skins, mechanics, and further content for the Overwatch League.
However, the decisive moment for Kaplan to leave the game was the conversation with the CFO, who according to Schreier was Zerza:
He said: ‘Overwatch has to make at least this and that much in 2020 and every subsequent year the amount X.’ And then he added: ‘If you don’t reach this amount, we will lay off 1,000 people and that will be your fault.’ And that was the biggest ‘fuck you’-moment I’ve ever had in my career; it felt surreal to be in that position.
Jeff Kaplan in the podcast interview with Lex Friedman on YouTube
Overwatch 2 has had a tough time since Jeff’s departure: promises were postponed and not fulfilled, unpopular changes caused frustration among fans and the mood sank significantly.
However, Overwatch recently experienced a kind of renaissance. The 2 was removed from the name, new characters were introduced, and even former players became curious again after years of absence. Even MeinMMO editor Caro vowed never to play Overwatch or similar hero shooters again, but weakened when shown a new face in the game: After 2,500 hours in Overwatch, I never wanted to play a hero shooter again, then they showed me a cat… with jetpacks
