Jeff Kaplan Explains Why His New Game Won't Be Free-to-Play

Former Overwatch boss Jeff Kaplan has provided a fairly clear explanation of why his new shooter game will likely not be free-to-play.

Jeff Kaplan, who left the Blizzard team in 2021, has broken his silence to share details about his new Wild West-themed shooter, The Legend of California.

This multiplayer title has a structure quite different from Overwatch. The game features an open map that is procedurally generated yet retains specific landmarks, and includes survival elements such as looting, resource gathering, and crafting to survive.

Although the game is still in the early stages of development and has no clear release date, Kaplan is already quite certain that players will need to pay an entry fee for this experience.

The Legend of California May Not Be Free

During a live stream, when answering questions from viewers about in-game currency, Kaplan stated that while the business model is not yet finalized, he is not keen on free-to-play (F2P) models like Fortnite or the current Overwatch.

“I have no idea what the business model will be. I don’t think we’ll be free-to-play, we’re too small of a team for that. You need eight billion players and two thousand developers sweating to produce content constantly for a free-to-play model,” he said.

“We are not that, so I don’t think we can support the game with a free model. But I’d be happy to be proven wrong about that.”

Kaplan added that the game will focus on items unlocked through gameplay rather than microtransactions.

“I want to do something simple. Right now, you unlock everything just by playing the game,” said Kaplan. “It’s like a crazy idea that hasn’t been seen in the last ten years; maybe I can just play the game to get things,” he added, referencing the monetization greed in the current gaming industry.

The Legend of California is still in development, so the Kintsugiyama team's plans may change. However, the current trajectory suggests that the game will be released for a one-time fee instead of a structure filled with extra purchases.

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