
In recent times, a YouTuber named Dinoflask has dedicated their life to mashing-up videos of Overwatchâs Jeff Kaplan, turning them into everything from enraged rants to stories of Kaplan drunkenly pretending to be Junkratâs ult at a party. Itâs masterful work. Even Kaplan himself thinks so... begrudgingly.
As part of a recent Reddit AMA, somebody asked Kaplan about the notorious videos, which have established a sort of alternate universe Jeff Kaplan whoâs significantly more, uh, blunt (and also maybe evil???) than the mild-mannered design dad weâve come to know and admire the patience of.
â[Dinoflask] is super talented,â replied Kaplan. âThe videos are hilarious. Obviously, I feel embarrassed when I see them. I mean, I am this middle-aged, awkward nerd with 0 points in charisma and really donât belong on camera in any way, shape or form. But if I look at the videos objectivelyâlike if they were of anyone but meâthey are hilarious.â
âI always say that Dinoflask says what I wish I could really say (like that old Key and Peele skit with Obamaâs translator),â he added.
Theory: Jeff Kaplan is Dinoflask, and these mash-ups are the only way he can share his real feelings.
For real, though, itâs fun to see a designer as high-profile (and impossibly busy) as Kaplan engage with the community thatâs formed not just around his game, but around his endearingly awkward personality. People dig him not because heâs dramatic or controversial, but because heâs straightforward and cares about keeping players in the loop. Itâs neat to see that resonate so deeply in this, the year of humankindâs worst vices 2017.
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The AMA touched on some other interesting subjects (potential changes to Lucio and Winston, loot box gifting, the possibility of bringing back certain seasonal events), though there wasnât a ton of detail to back them up. Still, itâs worth a read if youâre so into Overwatch that you clicked on an article about mash-up memes of the gameâs director.