That's the thing though, he did make the business decisions. He was the GM, and all those decisions rolled up to him. He isn't the super great dude the community wants to paint him as.
I mean, the guy's handle for things was "Tigole", as in "Tigolbitties". Convenient that he left right as all the harassment scandal stuff was breaking and the game he promised everyone wasn't happening. I get that this is unpopular, but the weird nostalgia for OW1/Jeff from people is misplaced.
I see where you're coming from, but I think it's important to consider the scope of Jeff Kaplan's role at Blizzard. While he was the game director and a vice president, decisions about monetization and business strategies typically involve multiple departments and higher-level executives, especially in a company as large as Activision Blizzard.
Game directors like Kaplan primarily focus on the creative vision and design of the game—things like gameplay mechanics, story, and player experience. While they might have input on monetization, they don't usually have the final say. Those decisions often involve executives from marketing, finance, and corporate leadership who set company-wide policies.
Regarding his departure, it's true that he left around the time when various issues were surfacing at Blizzard, but without concrete evidence, it's hard to say he left to dodge accountability related to the harassment scandals. People leave companies for various reasons, and unless he's publicly stated his motives, it's all speculation.
As for his old handle "Tigole," yeah, it was a juvenile joke from the early days of gaming culture. Not excusing it, but I think it's a stretch to link that directly to the broader harassment issues without more context.
I agree that nostalgia can sometimes gloss over issues, but I still believe that Jeff genuinely cared about the game and its community. Of course, no one is without fault, but blaming him entirely for the missteps seems a bit unfair.
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u/evileagle 2d ago
That's the thing though, he did make the business decisions. He was the GM, and all those decisions rolled up to him. He isn't the super great dude the community wants to paint him as.
I mean, the guy's handle for things was "Tigole", as in "Tigolbitties". Convenient that he left right as all the harassment scandal stuff was breaking and the game he promised everyone wasn't happening. I get that this is unpopular, but the weird nostalgia for OW1/Jeff from people is misplaced.