Diablo Boss Departs Blizzard After Five Years

Rod Fergusson is leaving Blizzard after five years. In his time at the studio, Fergusson has primarily acted as the general manager and face of the Diablo series, overseeing a resurgence of sorts for Blizzard’s storied action-RPG franchise.

Fergusson announced his departure via Twitter, saying, “After five years of driving the Diablo franchise forward with four big launches, it’s time for me to step away from Blizzard/Microsoft, sword in hand, and see what’s next. The teams are set up for success, with an exiting slate of releases ahead. I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve built together and looking forward to what comes next for Diablo, and for me.”

Fergusson came to Blizzard in 2020 after a long stint at The Coalition, the Xbox-owned studio that primarily works on Gears of War, a series that he has been working on, sporadically, since close to its inception. Back in the day, Fergusson came onto the original Gears of War and shepherded its final stretch of development. Fergusson would go on to have a hand in most games in the series–and briefly helped Irrational Games on BioShock Infinite–before departing for Blizzard.

In his role as GM of Diablo, Fergusson oversaw the release of Diablo II Resurrected, a remake of the beloved second game in the franchise, as well as Diablo Immortal, an entirely new mobile adaptation of the series. His biggest project though was Diablo IV, which brought the series back to its dark roots back in 2023. The game and its first expansion, Vessel of Hatred, received positive reviews.

Fergusson has not disclosed what is next for him.