Jeff Kaplan, former Overwatch director and Blizzard vice president, is back with his new studio Kintsugiyama and a fresh game called The Legend of California. This open-world, action-survival shooter blends elements of Red Dead Redemption and Rust, set during the gold rush era but with a twist — Kaplan's version of California is an island, not aiming for strict historical accuracy.

Kaplan's 34-person team crafted a hand-built world with randomized elements, where biomes like the Mojave Desert might be beginner-friendly on one server and endgame content on another. Players can hunt, mine, craft weapons, build homesteads, and raid camps while tackling PvE encounters across four difficulty tiers. The game supports forming companies with up to three other players to share resources and progress.

Published by Dreamhaven, Mike Morhaime's company, The Legend of California enters early access later this year on Steam and Epic Games Store, with closed alpha tests starting soon. Kaplan made the unusual announcement during a five-hour podcast appearance with Lex Fridman, his first public discussion since leaving Blizzard in 2021 after 19 years. He cited business pressures around Overwatch League and Overwatch 2, including a pivotal 2020 meeting where he was told missing revenue targets would result in 1,000 layoffs on his watch.