Jeff Kaplan Speaks To Korean Players About Blizzard’s Behaviour Measures
Overwatch director Jeff Kaplan has produced a video speaking directly to Korean players about Blizzard’s plans to tackle social and behavioural issues in the game.
In a video posted to the Korean Overwatch YouTube channel, Kaplan opens by praising Korea’s contribution to both Overwatch specifically as well as esports and gaming more generally.
The main purpose of the video, however, is to discuss the various steps Blizzard is taking to combat bad behaviour, from abusive chat to griefing and throwing.
As well as being the most successful country competitively and one of the countries in which Overwatch is most popular, Korean players tend to take competitive games more seriously than western players do.
As a result, behaviour that affects the game negatively can be seen as a greater offence in some cases, so it makes sense for Blizzard to speak directly to Korean players on this issue to ensure they feel the developers take those concerns seriously.
Kaplan touches on many of the areas that were also covered by principal designer Scott Mercer in a recent post on the Blizzard forums. In addition to the punitive measures outlined there, Kaplan also hints at upcoming systems designed to reward and encourage positive behaviour.
Though the video is directed to Korean players first and foremost, it also functions perfectly as an explanation of many of Blizzards current systems and plans for the future for all viewers, directly from the game’s director.
