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Rod Fergusson announced on August 8, 2025, that he was leaving Blizzard and Microsoft after five years leading the Diablo franchise. He did not give a specific reason for his departure. By August 19, 2025, he had joined 2K as senior vice president and head of BioShock.
Why did Rod Fergusson leave Blizzard?
Fergusson did not state why he was leaving. In his August 8 announcement, he said it was time to step away after five years “driving the Diablo franchise forward with four big launches.” He also said Diablo’s teams were set up for success and that he was proud of what they had built together.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Diablo IV - PlayStation 5 | $31.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Diablo IV | Lord of Hatred Standard Edition | XBOX Digital Code | $39.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Diablo® IV (PS5) | $36.40 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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Diablo IV (Cross-Gen Bundle) - For Playstation 4 | $38.90 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
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Diablo IV (Cross-Gen Bundle) | $29.95 | Buy on Amazon |
In a statement about his tenure, Fergusson said he had joined Blizzard with two goals: to revitalize a franchise he loved and to make a meaningful impact at the company. As he prepared to leave, he said he had “full confidence in Diablo’s plans, teams, and leadership.” Those positive remarks describe his public view of the franchise; they do not explain the circumstances behind his departure. The available reporting does not establish whether it was voluntary, prompted by company decisions, or connected to layoffs.
Who replaced him as Diablo’s leader?
The sources available for this account do not identify who took over Fergusson’s Diablo leadership responsibilities. Without a confirmed announcement, naming a successor would be speculation.
#1 Best Overall
What did Fergusson do after Blizzard?
A PC Gamer report dated August 19, 2025, said Fergusson had joined 2K as senior vice president and head of the BioShock franchise. In his announcement, he said he would lead Cloud Chamber and oversee the next BioShock game and extensions of the franchise. That is a dated report, not confirmation of his employment status in October 2026.
What did his five years leading Diablo include?
Fergusson joined Blizzard in March 2020 to oversee Diablo. His departure post referred to “four big launches,” but the available sources do not provide his own itemized list, so that phrase should not be treated as a definitive accounting of specific releases.
Rank #2
- LORD OF HATRED EXPANSION — Includes Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred Standard Edition and Diablo IV: Lord of Hatred. The Diablo IV base game is required to play.
- IN-GAME EXTRAS — Get 1 Extra Stash Tab, 2 Additional Character Slots, and 3 Decor Items in World of Warcraft.
- NEW CLASSES AND REGION — Master two new classes and explore the ancient region of Skovos in the Lord of Hatred expansion.
- ACTION RPG ADVENTURE — Slay demons, master abilities, explore nightmarish dungeons, and find legendary loot in a dark open world.
- NEW CAMPAIGN AGAINST MEPHISTO — Make your stand against the Prime Evil Mephisto in a rich new story featuring new enemies, regions, and narrative twists.
One major milestone during his tenure was Diablo IV’s 2023 launch. In a June 6, 2023, release, Blizzard called it the company’s fastest-selling game of all time at that point, based on unit sales before launch. Blizzard also reported that players logged 93 million hours during the four days after early access began on June 1, 2023. These are launch-era figures published by Blizzard, not current sales or engagement totals.
That same launch release listed Diablo IV for Windows PC, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, and PlayStation 4, and described cross-platform play and progression. Those details reflect Blizzard’s 2023 launch announcement; they are not a check of current platform compatibility or features.
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Best Value
Rank #4
- Diablo IV is the next-gen action RPG experience with endless evil to slaughter, countless abilities to master, nightmarish Dungeons, and legendary loot
- Embark on the campaign solo or with friends, meeting memorable characters through beautifully dark settings and a gripping story
- Explore an expansive end game and shared world where players can meet in towns to trade, team up to battle World Bosses, or descend into PVP zones to test their skills against other players
- No lobbies necessary - with cross-play and cross-progression on all available platforms
Rank #3
- Pre-order and receive:
- Light Bearer Mount in Diablo IV
- Only one code per customer
- Diablo IV is the next-gen action RPG experience with endless evil to slaughter, countless abilities to master, nightmarish Dungeons, and legendary loot.
- Embark on the campaign solo or with friends, meeting memorable characters through beautifully dark settings and a gripping story, or explore an expansive end game and shared world where players can meet in towns to trade, team up to battle World Bosses, or descend into PVP zones to test their skills against other players - no lobbies necessary - with cross-play and cross-progression on all available platforms.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
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