Ex-Overwatch 2 Lead: Blizzard Execs Pushing Overwatch 2’s Reveal Were ‘Fucking Idiots’

Former Overwatch director Jeff Kaplan says executive interference and disagreements over the sequel’s direction contributed to his departure from Blizzard. His account sheds light on why the studio shifted from expanding the original live-service game to making Overwatch 2, a decision that frustrated players and disrupted the game’s original promise.

Kaplan said the team was told to stop creating new heroes for Overwatch and work on a sequel instead, despite uncertainty about its identity and business model. He recalled fighting with executives from 2018 until he left, about a year and a half after Overwatch 2 was announced alongside Diablo 4. Blizzard has since dropped the “2” and plans to add 10 heroes in 2026; Kaplan is now working on a Gold Rush-era survival game planned for early access in 2027.