Jeff Kaplan

Overwatch: How Blizzard Created a Hopeful Vision of the Future

Bio:

As game director and vice president at Blizzard Entertainment, Jeff Kaplan is the leader and creative vision-holder for Overwatch. Kaplan oversees a crack squad of game development operatives tasked with the following mission parameters: Design a highly-stylized team-based multiplayer shooter set on a near-future earth, featuring a diverse cast of extraordinary characters embroiled in an epic, globe-spanning conflict. And make it awesome.

Prior to transitioning into his current role, Kaplan served as the game director of World of Warcraft, the world�s most popular subscription-based massively multiplayer online role-playing game. He oversaw the World of Warcraft development team, and was ultimately responsible for the game�s vision and overall direction. Kaplan got his start on World of Warcraft in 2002 as a quest designer on the game�s development team.

Kaplan earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English with an emphasis on creative writing from the University of Southern California in 1995. He then went on to earn a Master of Fine Arts degree in creative writing from New York University.