Blizzard is gaining long-time Gears of War lead Rod Fergusson to oversee Diablo 4. Fergusson, who most recently marshaled the troops behind the production of Gears of War 5, announced that he would be moving on to other things - specifically, the Diablo franchise.
For many, this is major news. Fergusson is seen to be a “closer” who had previously joined the BioShock Infinite team in the ninth inning to help push the game to release. His involvement helped push Infinite to meet its potential following a delay in development he insisted would polish the game. His addition followed major departures from the BioShock team that left many wondering if it would release on time. Despite the minor delay, Fergusson got the job done. Then, he rode off into the sunset (and back to his Gears family) after BioShock Infinite shipped. Now, he is once again departing the Gears team for Blizzard.
Fergusson announced the move amid a flurry of major delays in the gaming world, including major titles like Cyberpunk 2077. It’s unclear what prompted the move, but Fergusson comes off excited at the opportunity on his social media account. “Leaving is bittersweet as I love our Gears family, the fans, and everyone at The Coalition and Xbox,” Fergusson said in a tweet reflecting on his years spent working on Gears.
Blizzard desperately needs something to go well following its disastrous Warcraft 3: Reforged release, which shipped in such terrible condition that players figuratively and nearly literally beat down the company’s door demanding refunds. Initially, Blizzard reportedly banned players for discussing refunds on its forums but ultimately gave in and made obtaining one much simpler. Fergusson’s surprise addition to the team may be to help prevent another disaster - a disaster like the release of Diablo 3, which also got off to an uncomfortable start with disappointed players.
Fergusson’s addition to the Diablo team indicates that Blizzard, whose recent history has included mass layoffs and alleged securities fraud problems, is looking to bolster the talent around its upcoming releases. In recent years, Blizzard has been tarnishing a legacy of games that once positioned the developer in storied air amongst fans. Perhaps the company’s decision to pull in Fergusson could represent a turning point in game development that will enable a Diablo 4 launch that doesn’t mirror the embarrassment that was the initial incarnation of the third installment in the series.
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Diablo 4 will release on PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4. No official release date has been announced.
Source: Twitter
