Jeff Kaplan responds to backlash to Overwatch 2 delay

Blizzard VP Jeff Kaplan has addressed fan concerns about Overwatch 2 being delayed, promising that the game will be worth the wait.

Any Overwatch fan will recognise Jeff Kaplan in an instant. The game’s Lead Designer has become a staple at Blizzcon and the star of development update videos.

Recently, however, he’s been the barer of disappointing news. With Overwatch 2 being delayed until 2022 at the earliest, fans either took it on the chin or took to Reddit to express their emotions. The announcement was quite the blow for Overwatch players.

In an interview with Gamespot Kaplan has commented on the reaction to postponing Overwatch 2, and it’s pretty apparent that he’s heartbroken too.

Jeff Kaplan reacts to Overwatch 2 delay critics

Kaplan has opened up about how it felt having to delay Overwatch 2, and the corresponding reaction from the game’s fanbase.

He said: “As a human being, it’s impossible not to hear criticism and feel bad when you hear that criticism. When you can be objective, if you can be objective, you can have that moment where you realize only people who are truly passionate about what we do would have the reaction that they’re having.

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“If they didn’t care, if they weren’t into Overwatch, either they were apathetic or they actively didn’t like Overwatch, they wouldn’t even be focused on this. They wouldn’t even comment. It’s not even worth their time.”

He clarifies that it’s about “just realizing you’ve got these incredible players who are fans and supporters, and passionate, and they don’t always know how to express their passion in a way that is helpful.”

Comparing this to young lovers in high school, he notes: “There’s that boy and girl, and one of them has a crush on the other one, and they don’t know how to express it, so they walk up to them and punch them in the arm. ‘Well, I just wanted you to know that I liked you and I wanted some attention from you, and that was the best way I knew how to get it.'”

Overwatch 2 worth the wait

It’s pretty evident that Kaplan and the Overwatch 2 team empathize with fans criticising the delay, but at the end of the day they want to deliver the best product they can.

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He added: “At this point, the date is less important to us than getting it right and making it great.” The BlizzConline snippets we’ve seen of the game do indicate that the game’s quality is the foremost focus, too.

So while we’ll be waiting a little bit longer, Kaplan promises it’s worth it. So, until then, practice your Overwatch skills and get ready for the sequel’s crazy ride.