Red Dead Redemption rival coming from Overwatch creator reveals free Steam test, sign up now

From the mind that birthed World of Warcraft DLCs and Overwatch comes a brand-new open-world action-survival that differs from anything that we've seen him create before.

Jeff Kaplan, once of Activision Blizzard fame, left his post as Vice President back in 2022, just before the launch of the Overwatch sequel.

With sci-fi arena shooter action as a speciality alongside years of fantastical quest creations in WoW, the gaming titan had the industry abuzz when he announced a new studio earlier this year.

Kintsugiyama was announced in March 2026 as the new studio behind a survival first-person shooter title that promised to be unlike anything we've seen Kaplan work on before, given that the 5v5 arena format has become extremely saturated.

Now, The Legend of California has been revealed, and a free test will follow in less than a month.

The Legend of California launches a free Steam Alpha in September

If you have any space in that crammed September calendar that features The Blood of Dawnwalker, Marvel’s Wolverine, Control Resonant, seven more huge AAA games all ducking the GTA VI window, The Legend of California begs attention as a fun wild-west Red Dead Redemption rival.

Slated to be a Rust-like PvPvE shooter, the open-world setting plunges you into the depths of the mid-19th-century Californian Wild West civilization.

"Explore, gather, craft, build, hunt, and fight your way across a vast untamed frontier. Whether you choose to travel alone or work together with friends, your mission on this mythical island is not just to survive, but thrive. Stay strong, stake your claim, and become the true Legend of California," reads the Steam description.

The title will combine ranch-building with gathering and crafting systems, and a challenging combat system that boasts bows and arrows and sawed-off shotguns, putting your skills to the test to withstand oncoming looters.

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Kaplan's title will be published by fellow former Blizzard friends at Dreamhaven, who have enjoyed successful releases with the likes of Sunderfolk, which is currently having a resurgence thanks to an Xbox Game Pass free release.

The Legend of California will have a free Alpha test too, as fans will be able to enjoy a full weekend of action from September 17 - 21.

Those who played the closed Alpha will be invited back alongside Steam sign-ups. Features such as new ranches, endgame scenarios, and improved PvP subzones will all be available in the new Alpha test.

Its certainly a change of pace for the Overwatch icon, but the small studio looks to be sitting on a gold mine - literally.