Rod Fergusson has announced plans to leave Blizzard and the Diablo franchise.
He made this announcement on social media:
After five years driving the Diablo franchise with four big launches, it’s time to step away from Blizzard/Microsoft, sword in hand, and see what’s next. I’m proud of what we’ve built and excited for what’s ahead for Diablo, and for me.
Who Is Rod Fergusson In The Video Game Industry?
Fergusson is one of those veterans of the industry who has stuck around so long that he’s done and seen everything. His biggest games are Gears of War, BioShock Infinite, and Diablo. But his gameography also includes the likes of Counter-Strike, Shadow Complex, Bulletstorm, Alan Wake, Sea of Thieves, and Overwatch 2.
Fergusson often led making many of these games. His MobyGames credits go all the way back to 2001. At this point, he has enough renown that he could convince any investor to launch a new game studio with him.
What Does This Mean For Diablo 4 – And Maybe Diablo 5?
Fergusson has said that Blizzard will try to support Diablo 4 as long as possible. At the same time, he doesn’t expect it to be an ongoing game the way Fortnite is.
Fergusson’s replacement could change policies for Diablo 4. They can even convince Blizzard to move forward with Diablo 5. But Fergusson seemed to be following instructions above him to make Diablo 4 a live service project.
We don’t expect any big changes to Diablo 4’s medium term plans. It will probably keep getting expansions and content for five years. Unless it becomes unreasonably successful, that support won’t last ten years.
What Does This Mean For Rod Fergusson?
We’ll have to wait for Fergusson himself to reveal what he’s planning next. He did not mention or hint at retirement at all. Fergusson may have already accepted a new offer with a new company. And his next project might not be a video game.
There was a strange coincidence in Fergusson’s career. He made the Gears of War games for Microsoft while he was part of Epic Games. When he moved to Blizzard, he probably did not expect to end up working for Microsoft again.
This time, Fergusson made it clear he was leaving Microsoft. Does this mean he’s going to Sony, Nintendo, or Valve? Or could he go to a company that he knows might end up under Microsoft again?
Whatever the case, we wish the best for Fergusson and his loved ones. We all look forward to finding out what he has planned next.
