After five years, experienced gaming stalwart Rod Fergusson is leaving the Microsoft-owned studio Blizzard.
Having joined the firm back in March 2020, Fergusson was brought in to oversee the breed new life into the Diablo franchise – while before that the gaming veteran served as head at The Coalition and also executive VP of development with Irrational Games.
Fergusson revealed his news on Linkedin – saying that he’d managed to hit his targets and goals at the studio – by guiding Diablo IV to a ‘record breaking launch’, plus also assisting their franchise with their mobile debut and ‘Diablo Immortal’ release.
Rod Fergusson went onto say “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.”
“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.”
Rod Fergusson’s Diablo Departure Comes After 9,000 Microsoft Staff Cuts
Adding that he’s leaving Diablo in a great position – that’s “never being stronger and more relevant that it is right now.”
This departure for Fergusson has also come just after Microsoft released 9,000 people – including many in their video games departments.
With the big tech company saying these cutbacks, which also saw some other studios close and the cancellation of projects, were needed to increase efficiency, game development and productivity.
Fergusson concluded by saying “I am extremely grateful for the honor of playing some small part in this extraordinary franchise. And as I prepare to leave Blizzard, and Microsoft, I do so with full confidence in Diablo’s plans, teams, and leadership,”
