In somewhat of a shock announcement comes word that Blizzard veteran of 19 years, Jeff Kaplan, is leaving the studio. His contributions to the games from the iconic developer date back many years -- he was a member of both the World of Warcraft team and the cancelled Titan MMO project. Most recently he of course led the Overwatch team as Game Director where he also led development of the upcoming Overwatch 2.

In a statement Jeff wrote the following heartfelt message.

i am leaving Blizzard Entertainment after 19 amazing years.

it was truly the honor of a lifetime to have the opportunity to create worlds and heroes for such a passionate audience. i want to express my deep appreciation to everyone at blizzard who supported our games, our game teams and our players. but i want to say a special thanks to the wonderful game developers that shared in the journey of creation with me.

never accept the world as it appears to be. always dare to see it for what it could be. i hope you do the same.

gg,

jeffrey kaplan

Taking over as Game Director will be another Blizzard veteran and key member of the Overwatch team -- Aaron Keller. As part of the same announcement Aaron expressed his appreciation for Jeff, noting he was a "great leader, mentor, and friend, and he knows how much we’re going to miss him". Adding "I’ve been lucky to work alongside him and the rest of the Overwatch team for many years in building something that continues to inspire people all around the world."

In terms of Overwatch 2, Aaron says that development is continuing at a good pace and that development updates will be coming very soon. And in a humble farewell concludes with, "I have no pretenses about filling Jeff’s shoes, I’m excited to step into the game director role and continue to be part of a team that’s putting all of its heart, talent, and focus into the next iteration of Overwatch, and I’m honored to continue serving this incredible community."

And right there the shock of the announcement is brought to the fore, as Jeff Kaplan has been the public face of Overwatch from a behind the scenes perspective for many years now, where his passion for the universe shone through. No matter if it was a discussion about the Overwatch League, balance changes, or the philosophy behind the universe.