Fans Apologize to Kiriko and Mercy Mains After Kaplan Interview

Jeff Kaplan, the ex-director of Overwatch who left Blizzard in 2021, told Lex Fridman he stepped down after pressure to deliver ever-higher revenue numbers or face layoffs. He described a meeting with the company’s then-CFO, who he says told him that if he failed to hit those numbers the resulting layoffs would be “on [him],” calling it the “biggest fuck you moment” of his career.

That glimpse into a growth-at-all-costs mindset has shifted how some fans see years of perceived cosmetic favoritism for characters like Kiriko and Mercy. Overwatch struggled after Kaplan departed: the sequel never materialized as promised, the campaign was canceled and new modes were stripped.

The game has since dropped the 2 from its name and reintegrated the story, albeit without a campaign, and is now in perhaps its best state in years.

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