Diablo Head Rod Fergusson Departs Blizzard — What’s Next?

Okay, so here’s the thing. Rod Fergusson, who’s been this big shot over at Blizzard with that Diablo franchise? Yeah, he’s stepping out. And I mean, who wouldn’t notice? Five years, four big releases — basically, he’s done quite a bit, right? And now, like a knight with a sword (I swear that’s what he said), he’s ready to see where the winds take him.

His goodbye note was all over social media — the kind of thing you’d kinda expect but still feels surprising. Like, he said the teams were all ready and set for success. Honestly, it made me think of someone setting sail as their crew waves goodbye. Anyway, what’s wild is he seems chill about it, proud of what the team achieved, and hopeful for whatever’s next for him (and Diablo, of course). Weird to think what doors might open next for him!

Thinking back, under his watch, we got Diablo 2 Resurrected, Immortal, Diablo 4, and then that, uh, Vessel of Hatred expansion thing. It’s a pretty solid list. Before that, he was a major player at The Coalition on Gears 5. Dude’s got a knack for swooping in and sorting out the messiest of dev situations, which is a vibe I get. Like, he was key in the Gears saga and even BioShock Infinite, which is sort of legendary in terms of chaos.

And about Diablo 4 — man, that game was practically a myth until Fergusson just… got it done. Ten years in the works! Maybe it was his ‘closer’ vibe, but anyway, props to him.

Now, as he sails off, it kinda makes you wonder, right? What’s his next gig? There are quite a few games that could seriously use a Fergusson-style miracle. Bungie’s Marathon rings a bell. Oh, and anything new from BioShock land too. Who knows where he’ll land next, but anyone in crunch mode might just be hoping it’s on their turf. Here’s to whatever comes next for him. Cheers, Fergusson!