# Jeff Kaplan Calls Overwatch 2 “One of My Biggest Mistakes,” Citing Devs Who “Didn’t Like PvP” and Executive Pressure for Troubled Development **URL:** \ **Category:** Games\ **Created:** [March 13, 2026, 10:15am UTC](https://intoguide.com/t/jeff-kaplan-calls-overwatch-2-one-of-my-biggest-mistakes-citing-devs-who-didn-t-like-pvp-and-executive-pressure-for-troubled-development/217 "2026-03-13T10:15:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![wasabi](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex003/user_avatar/intoguide.com/wasabi/32/646_2.png) [@wasabi](https://intoguide.com/u/wasabi)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2026, 10:15am UTC](https://intoguide.com/t/jeff-kaplan-calls-overwatch-2-one-of-my-biggest-mistakes-citing-devs-who-didn-t-like-pvp-and-executive-pressure-for-troubled-development/217/1 "2026-03-13T10:15:15Z")
![image](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex003/uploads/intoguide1/original/1X/0dbcd30188de8844d621982419d81296371c8d12.jpeg) **He learned the hard way about putting a timeline in front of a higher-up** Overwatch 2 had a rocky development, with some PvE elements cut and tensions over the release schedule. Former director **Jeff Kaplan** reflects on the experience as one of his **biggest mistakes as a creative leader**. ### Points of failure Kaplan highlighted two main issues on the **Lex Fridman podcast** : 1. **Team preferences:** Some developers loved the Overwatch universe but preferred **co-op, campaign-driven gameplay** over PvP. They wanted to enjoy the heroes on their own terms rather than focus solely on competitive shooters. 2. **Management pressures:** Kaplan admits that he mishandled the release timeline, essentially **putting a schedule in front of higher-ups** , which created additional friction and stress during development. The combination of conflicting team vision and external pressure contributed to the challenges Overwatch 2 faced before launch. ⚡🎮