Jeff Kaplan

Profession: Video Game Designer

Biography: Jeff Kaplan is best known for his work on World of Warcraft and Overwatch. He rose from being a gamer himself to become a key figure at Blizzard Entertainment, one of the world's largest video game companies.

Kaplan studied creative writing in college and graduate school. After graduation, he worked for his father's business while trying to publish his stories. During this period, Kaplan faced many rejections and eventually turned his focus to playing video games.

His passion for gaming led him to become a prominent player in the online game EverQuest. He caught the attention of Rob Pardo, a designer at Blizzard Entertainment. This connection resulted in Kaplan joining Blizzard as a quest designer for World of Warcraft in 2002.

At Blizzard, Kaplan quickly moved up the ranks. He became a game director for World of Warcraft, working closely with Chris Metzen. In 2009, he shifted to a new project called Titan, but this was later cancelled.

From the remains of Titan, Kaplan and his team created Overwatch. This game became a huge success, earning over a billion dollars in its first year. Kaplan became the public face of Overwatch, often communicating directly with fans.

Kaplan received the Vanguard Award at the Fun & Serious Game Festival in 2017 for his contributions to gaming. In 2021, he left Blizzard after 19 years with the company.

Born: November 4, 1972
Birthplace: New Jersey, USA
Age: 51 years old

Generation: Generation X
Chinese Zodiac: Rat
Star Sign: Scorpio