Jeff Kaplan, game developer, on gaming toxic culture: “If a game comes out, and you don’t want to play it. Shut the f***up”

Jeff Kaplan, who is known for his work at Blizzard on ‘World of Warcraft’ and as the creative director of ‘Overwatch’, unveiled his new project, ‘The Legend of California’, last week. In addition, he has been making headlines in recent days, and recently made a comment that directly addressed the toxic culture plaguing the gaming world.

During a lengthy livestream showcasing his upcoming title, Kaplan took a moment to discuss this trend in the gaming community. The toxicity of some people who are completely negative about games they aren’t even interested in and have no intention of playing. For him, the advice is harsh but simple. “If a game comes out, and you don’t want to play it, and you’ve never played it? Shut the f***up. No one cares.”

“We don’t need to hear that you weren’t into it,” Kaplan continued. “What is with this, ‘Oh my God, I’m so upset they decided to make this game that I have no interest in?’ I’m not running to the internet every time there’s a TV show on… well, I’m not watching any TV shows, either, but like, who cares about my opinion if I’m not going to play it? And if I’ve never played it? Why does my opinion matter on that? If you play it — great! You have an informed opinion, and good for you. But there needs to be a little more spread-the-love.”

A new chapter for the former Blizzard employee

After nearly 20 years at Blizzard, where he climbed the ranks from a World of Warcraft quest designer to a legendary Game Director, he departed in 2021. Recent revelations have shed light on the pressures that led to his exit, including extreme financial demands from Activision Blizzard and the weight of feeling personally responsible for the job security of over a thousand employees.

Now, Kaplan is channeling his development philosophy into The Legend of California. This new project is an ambitious open-world, action-survival shooter set in a fictionalized version of the U.S. during the Gold Rush era.

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