Diablo 4 Boss Leaves Blizzard After 5 Years For Next Gig

Blizzard is losing the head of one of its biggest franchises. Diablo general manager Rod Fergusson announced on Friday that he’s leaving the studio after five years to pursue a new opportunity. The industry veteran who’s done tours at Epic Games, The Coalition, and more is known for closing troubled projects and helped Blizzard ship Diablo IV in 2023, spending the last two years overseeing its seasonal updates including last year’s expansion, The Vessel of Hatred. 

“When I joined Blizzard five years ago, I had two main goals (besides getting my sword!): to revitalize one of my favorite franchises of all time, and to have a meaningful impact on the company I admired,” Fergusson wrote on LinkedIn today. “And it is with great pride and gratitude that I can now look back on this period of my career and say that not only did I achieve those goals, but having the privilege of leading this team alongside some of my favorite people in the world and shipping amazing experiences for our players helped me to grow—as a leader, and as a person.”

Fergusson arrived at the company back in 2020 after five years in charge of The Coalition working on the Gears of War franchise for Microsoft. Blizzard faced a workplace reckoning shortly after he arrived following a California lawsuit that was later settled by Activision Blizzard. His tenure at the company coincidentally brought him back to Microsoft, where he began his career back in the ’90s, after the tech giant acquired Activision Blizzard for $70 billion in 2023.

With a background as a producer, Fergusson has a reputation throughout the industry for being a closer—someone who can be brought in during tough development cycles to make hard choices and ultimately get a game out the door. That’s what happened when he joined Irrational Games in 2012 amid fears that BioShock Infinite might be trapped in development hell following missed release targets and lots of thrown-out work.

At a time when big-budget blockbusters across the board are taking longer than ever to develop—including the latest BioShock—Fergusson’s experience and skillset are no doubt in high demand. His departure also comes shortly after the latest round of mass layoffs at Microsoft led to deep cuts within its gaming division.

“You brought strength, hellfire, and vision to one of gaming’s most iconic franchises,” Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer wrote on Bluesky in response to Fergusson’s announcement. “Playing Diablo IV with you was a blast—thanks for everything you gave to the game and the community.”