Jeff Kaplan, co-creator of Overwatch and former Blizzard vice president, has officially made his return, announcing a brand-new game in the process. Kaplan served as the face of Overwatch from its launch in May 2016 to his departure from Blizzard in April 2021.
Overwatch began life as Titan originally, and Kaplan was brought in to help finish the class-based shooter. After Titan’s cancellation, Kaplan served a major role in transitioning the game’s concept and some early gameplay mechanics into what would become Overwatch, helping Blizzard avoid shelving the project entirely. Overwatch helped to popularize the hero shooter genre that first burst onto the scene with games like Team Fortress Classic, bringing a massively popular cast of superhero-themed characters to life in its cinematic cutscenes. The game’s tight shooting mechanics, colorful art style, and expressive heroes helped catapult it into the spotlight, bringing in Game of the Year awards upon its release and adding another major success story to Blizzard’s catalog.
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Jeff Kaplan Returns to the Gaming Space With a Brand New Game Announcement
Overwatch co-creator Jeff Kaplan has returned to the games industry after a five-year absence, teasing a brand-new game from his new independent development studio, Kintsugiyama. Along with an extensive interview with Lex Fridman that can be found on Fridman’s YouTube channel, Kaplan has unveiled The Legend of California, an open-world, western-inspired shooter that lists its setting as “the mythical island of California,” with the game taking place during the state’s gold rush era. Kintsugiyama’s official website states that the title has been in development for four years and serves as a passion project for its creators.
The Legend of California is a game that’s clearly inspired by the era of Westerns, with action-packed gameplay that can be experienced either alone or with a group of friends in co-op. The game’s debut trailer shows off a litany of explosive gunplay, including era-appropriate pistols, sniper rifles, and shotguns being used to take down enemies of all kinds. Along with an appropriate share of first-person shooting, The Legend of California appears to include a range of gameplay styles that include hunting and mining as you explore California’s untamed frontier. The trailer even ends with a hint of crafting and resource gathering, as the player can be seen chopping down trees and transporting them to an unfinished building for use in construction.
Jeff Kaplan’s return to the gaming space is a welcome one, and while The Legend of California may draw immediate comparisons to Red Dead Redemption 2 and other similar titles, there is plenty of room left for exploration and innovation within the realm of Western video games. While other games allow players to fulfill their cowboy fantasies, not all of them let players team up with a group of friends to participate in such a wide range of activities, which should make for a fresh take on the relatively niche genre.
Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.
Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.
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FPS gameplay is extremely well-suited for Western-inspired titles, for obvious reasons, and The Legend of California’s gorgeous scenery and tight gameplay should serve as a welcome addition to the space. Kaplan has plenty of history at the helm of unconventional shooters, with Overwatch continuing to garner support to this day based on the foundation that he helped lay. Kintsugiyama’s new game looks to continue that trend, with a wide range of activities that should keep the game fun for fans of all types. The Legend of California doesn’t yet have a release date, but the game is expected to hit early access in 2026. Fans can wishlist on Steam for more information on this new title.
- Released
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August 10, 2023
- ESRB
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Teen / Violence, Blood, Mild Language, Use of Tobacco, Users Interact, In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items)
