Jeff Kaplan disconnects from Overwatch 5 years after exit

Jeff Kaplan, former Overwatch director at Blizzard, said in a PC Gamer article published Oct. 14 that he avoids following the hero shooter five years after leaving the project.

The comments matter because Kaplan was tied to one of Blizzard’s major game brands, and the five-year gap frames his break from Overwatch as more than a routine pause.

“I don't search for my name in Overwatch. I don't search for Overwatch. I sort of just disconnect,” Kaplan said, according to PC Gamer.

Overwatch is a hero shooter, a format built around distinct playable characters with different roles and abilities. A director on that kind of live game typically sits close to design priorities, player-facing decisions and the long-running tension between competitive balance and character identity.

PC Gamer described Kaplan’s departure as “almost clinical,” language that underlines how cleanly he says he separated himself from the game after leaving Blizzard. The article’s thrust is personal rather than operational: it points to a former creative lead choosing distance from a project that remains closely associated with his name.

Kaplan’s quoted remarks also contrast with the usual afterlife of high-profile game directors, whose comments can keep feeding community debates long after they leave a studio. PC Gamer identified him as a former Blizzard developer and ex-Overwatch director.

Source: trade-press article, PC Gamer, Oct. 14.