Diablo 4’s General Manager Rod Fergusson announced on August 8, 2025, that he was going to leave Blizzard, after five years. Between his time at Blizzard and Microsoft, he worked on a wealth of familiar titles. Depending on who you talk to, his name is a blessing or a curse, though. His work credits include Diablo 2: Resurrected, Diablo Immortal, and D4 (and the Vessel of Hatred expansion).Some appreciate his work, noting that games are made by more than just one person. Others instead choose to put all of the blame of the “current state of Diablo 4” solely at Rod Fergusson’s feet. Either way, he has officially announced his departure, with no indicator for what’s next.Diablo 4’s general manager’s departure is a mixed bag to the communityDiablo 4 was far from Rod Fergusson’s first video game, nor is the Diablo franchise where he got his start. Known for working on BioShock Infinite, Infinity Blade, as well as Gears 5, he’s been in game development since 1996. From working on his own MUD in the 90s, the Gears franchise, Bulletstorm, and the Half-Life: Counter-Strike launch on Xbox, he’s got a real pedigree in shooter titles.However, it’s that time in the world of shooters that perhaps gave Diablo fans the ammunition they were searching for. There have been many players who feel Rod Fergusson didn’t understand what made the Diablo franchise important, but it was clear in his communications with the fanbase that he did, and likely still does, have a love for the franchise.Diablo 2: Resurrected after all, is incredible, other than the bizarre decision to remove LAN gameplay from the official release. No matter what’s said about him, no one can say he didn’t have a vision for where games he worked on should go, nor that he didn’t have a passion for them. Most of the games he has launched have been received well, except Diablo Immortal, where people look at the pay-to-win mechanics as a major negative.While there are definitely fans of D4 who are delighted Rod Fergusson is leaving Blizzard behind, others enjoy the game in the state it’s in, and appreciate the work he’s done. It will nonetheless be interesting to see where the game goes from here, and who will take his place at the helm of the franchise.Personally, I’m in the camp of the players who have been enjoying D4 since the start. It’s far from a perfect game, but I’ve enjoyed playing it solo, and with friends over the last few years. I would like to see more variance in seasons, and less of the “live-service microtransactions”, or at least reasonably priced ones, but the moment-to-moment gameplay has been enjoyable for me as a player.Check out our other Diablo 4 guides and featuresDiablo 4 Season 9 review: Sins of the Horadrim, passed on to the Son4 Previously ignored builds that became meta in Diablo 4 Season 9Diablo 4 Season 9: New fastest way to level