One of the industry's biggest names, Rod Fergusson of The Coalition, is making a big move. The studio head responsible for the Gears of War franchise is leaving Microsoft Game Studios. Fergusson is only going to be taking on more responsibility from here, however.
Wednesday afternoon Fergusson confirmed that his new destination will be Blizzard, where his new role will be overseeing none other than the Diablo franchise. That includes overseeing not only Diablo 4, but Diablo Immortal and any other Diablo plans Blizzard may have in the future.
Fergusson has an incredibly storied career, going all the way back to Half-Life: Counter-Strike in 2000. He's also been involved with every entry in the Gears of War franchise, staying with it even through the Epic Games sale of the property to Microsoft in 2014. With that purchase, Microsoft brought on Fergusson to run the franchise as the studio head of The Coalition. His projects since have included both Gears of War 4 and Gears 5, as well as spin-off Gears games including the upcoming Gears Tactics.
Having wrapped up Gears 5 in 2019, it seems Fergusson itched for new opportunities. It's unclear whether Blizzard's open position for a Diablo franchise lead was simply a well-timed opening or if Fergusson pursued the position. Fergusson could be a Diablo fan, though he's certain to treat the brand like his own going forward regardless of his past experiences with it. While Fergusson doesn't clarify when he'll be starting the new job, he makes it sound like it'll be a quick turnaround.
There's no doubt that the Diablo franchise has big things in store in the relatively near future. Fergusson will be joining Blizzard as it's firing on all cylinders for the development of Diablo 4. Blizzard has already confirmed that Diablo 4 will have robust seasonal content additions, including routine major expansions. Diablo 4's a live service game, which is certain to keep Fergusson busy on its own. There's more, though, such as the smartphone Diablo spin-off Diablo Immortal. Those two projects may just be the start of Blizzard's Diablo plans for the coming several years.
Fergusson did take to Twitter to give his thanks to all of the Gears of War fans that have supported and followed him through the years. "Leaving is bittersweet as I love our Gears family, the fans, and everyone at The Coalition and Xbox. Thank you, it has been an honor and a privilege to work with you all," is Fergusson's parting message. His fans have filled his Twitter's replies with messages of thanks in return. There's a reason why Fergusson's Twitter handle is "GearsViking". It can't have been an easy decision for Fergusson to make, though his fans will undoubtedly continue to follow his work going forward.
Gears 5 is available now on PC and Xbox One. Diablo 4 has no release date, but is confirmed for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.