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Former Overwatch director Jeff Kaplan returns with a Western survival shooter
- Jeff Kaplan is back, leading The Legend of California at Kintsugiyama, an indie multiplayer action-survival FPS set on a mythical island California during a gold rush era.
- Kaplan left Blizzard in 2021 after serving as Overwatch lead director and working on World of Warcraft, citing growing corporate pressure to prioritise revenue over game development and a 1,000-person layoff threat tied to missed targets.
- Players can craft, gather, hunt, fight and build, while a 34-strong team designed the world with seeded randomization and players form companies of up to three.
- Rather than a traditional showcase, Kaplan revealed the project during a five-hour appearance on Lex Fridman's podcast, with closed alpha playtests expected soon and Early Access later this year.
- Mixing Red Dead Redemption and Rust influences, the game reimagines California as an island and Dreamhaven’s involvement positions it within industry conversations about developer autonomy and corporate pressure.
33 Articles
33 Articles
Jeff Kaplan Says He Quit Overwatch After Blizzard Threatened to Blame 1,000 Layoffs On Him
Former Overwatch game director Jeff Kaplan is revealing new details about why he abruptly left Blizzard in 2021, and his explanation paints a troubling picture of the pressure placed on the development team behind one of the company’s most successful franchises. During a recent interview on the Lex Fridman podcast, Kaplan described a meeting with Blizzard leadership that he says ultimately pushed him to walk away from the company. According to K…
Ex-Overwatch lead reveals new cowboy-themed open world game
Ever wanted to be a cowboy and stake your claim on the land? The Legend of California is an indie multiplayer action-survival FPS that lets you do just that. Developed by Kintsugiyama and published by Dreamhaven (the game company of former Blizzard CEO Mike Morhaime), The Legend of California is headed by a name that Overwatch fans will recognize: Jeff Kaplan.
Jeff Kaplan once faced a very difficult choice. The mastermind behind the Overwatch franchise and industry veteran, Jeff Kaplan, who had been out of touch for a long time, finally broke his silence. The renowned game designer announced his ambitious new project, the multiplayer survival simulator The Legend of California, and also shared details of his departure from Blizzard after 19 years... The post "Blackmail and pressure from Activision for…
Ex-Overwatch director says Blizzard threatened to lay off 1,000 devs if the game didn't make enough money, and blame him for it — "the biggest 'F*** you' moment I had in my career"
Years after his departure from Blizzard, former Overwatch director Jeff Kaplan has revealed why he left the studio, citing layoff threats over revenue.
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