Following a tumultuous, and less than stellar game release, Blizzard is undergoing some changes. The Diablo series team has gained Rod Fergusson in a leadership role. Rod Fergusson’s extensive history includes well over a decade in the gaming industry. Most notably he’s been a part the Gears of War franchise since its beginning.
Blizzard has not had the best of press in recent weeks. Just last week Warcraft III: Reforged earned the posthumous title of “Worst Game of All Time“. Mr. Fergusson will be joining the Diablo team to oversee the entire series.
His transition in March will precede the upcoming release Gears Tactics. April 28th is the scheduled release date for Gears Tactics.
Diablo IV’s Future
Fans of the franchise have been waiting for some time for the next installment. The last game to be on PC, Diablo III, was released back in 2012. Over a year ago a new mobile version, called Diablo Immortal, was announced at BlizzCon. Rather than driving the story franchise it tried to fill a gap, via mobile platforms, between Diablo II & III. That too did not fare so well with fans and also had less than favorable reception. Shortly after that job postings appeared. They were seeking a lead character artist and concept artist.
Many believe that all of these changes are leading up to a Diablo IV release in 2020. A confusing event back in 2018 led some to believe it was coming out then. Someone registered “playdiablo4.com”. That person had, of course, received a request from Blizzard to redirect the URL. The first Diablo was released just over twenty-three years ago. It enjoyed a popularity among both PC and console gamer’s alike. So far no official date has been set for a fourth iteration but at the very least 2020 seems likely for an announcement.