Overwatch Fans Are Apologizing To The Kiriko And Mercy Mains They've Bullied - Kotaku

"Jeff Kaplan described a meeting he had with the company's then-CFO, who he claims told him that if he failed to hit those revenue numbers, the resulting layoffs would be "on [him]," as the "biggest fuck you moment" of his career."

"Characters like Kiriko and Mercy were given what fans considered preferential treatment, receiving rare, elaborate, and expensive skins while many other characters have been neglected in comparison, breeding resentment toward the favored characters and their players."

"Now that Kaplan has made it clear the kind of pressure he has been under, it's helping some fans understand that Kiriko and Mercy players' willingness to buy all those skins has helped keep the game afloat."

Jeff Kaplan, former director of Overwatch, departed Blizzard in 2021 after experiencing intense pressure to deliver increasing revenue numbers yearly. He described a meeting with the CFO where he was told that failing to hit revenue targets would result in layoffs attributed to him. This corporate mandate for perpetual growth drove Blizzard's strategy of favoring certain characters with expensive, elaborate skins. Characters like Kiriko and Mercy received preferential treatment while others were neglected, breeding resentment among players. Overwatch 2's development suffered, with its promised campaign canceled and new modes stripped. Kaplan's revelation helps fans understand that the cosmetic favoritism stemmed from corporate pressure rather than arbitrary design choices, and that player spending on specific heroes' skins directly influenced which characters received continued investment.

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