In a touching recollection, Overwatch’s Game Director Jeff Kaplan just revealed that he credits everything about his screen presence to a high school economics teacher whom he shared with 80s hometown celebrity Ferris Bueller.

“It’s truly an honor,” retired economics teacher Ken Stein told Relevant Gaming. “I watch all of [Kaplan’s] Developer Updates. I thought I recognized some of my swagger on-screen, but to hear that he thanks me for it? I’m truly honored.”

Kaplan recalls how Stein and Bueller influenced Overwatch

Kaplan regularly features in Developer Updates for the team-based, first-person shooter Overwatch on YouTube.

The gaming-world sensation recently divulged to a Relevant Gaming reporter that his appreciation for teacher Stein knows no bounds. “What? My ‘style’? Oh, I had this teacher in high school, with Ferris Bueller actually– well nevermind, you probably don’t know Ferris,” Kaplan answered. “He was more of a local hero.”

“But yes, our economics teacher had this fantastic, really energetic speaking style,” Kaplan went on. “It was my funnest class. I guess I try to emulate his, um, bravado. And Ferris Bueller was a funny guy– he was actually the main inspiration behind Bastion’s really brilliant sense of humor.”

When pressed to elaborate, he continued, “What do you mean, ‘Bastion just makes noises’? Has no one cracked the code yet? Man, they said we overestimated the players with the Sombra ARG, but really…”

Kaplan and Stein: A Thorough Comparison

Looking at Overwatch’s Developer Updates, its easy to see Stein’s ebullient, full-tilt delivery in Kaplan’s almost theatrical celebrations of Overwatch’s growing world. See a comparison between the mentor and his disciple, below:

It makes sense that the director of such a considered, community-focused game would draw strong inspiration from a high-school teacher he admired, and a classmate he regarded so highly. That’s our “Papa Kaplan”– he’s just a cool dad!