Rod Fergusson, the new head of the team working on Diablo 4 at Blizzard, has commented on the development status of the hack and slash game. Despite Corona, progress is going well.
Who is Rod Fergusson? Since March 2020, Fergusson has been responsible for the Diablo brand at Blizzard and oversees the development, which includes Diablo 4. Previously, he worked on titles such as BioShock Infinite and Gears 5.
What did Fergusson say about the current status? According to him, the work is progressing very well, and the team has lost only a little productivity. Fergusson attributes this to Blizzard making it easier for developers to work from home. Employees were able to take their equipment and PCs home, and Blizzard covers the costs for internet usage.
Additionally, there is an emphasis on ensuring that the team has enough free time and ample breaks. Furthermore, developers even receive snack boxes in the mail.
Players need not fear delays for Diablo 4
Can remote work really continue to be that productive? According to Rod Fergusson, there is even evidence that fans need not worry about significant delays in the development of Diablo 4.
The fact that we delivered two expansions for Hearthstone and WoW is on the verge of receiving a new addon shows that the efforts have paid off. And we continue to work on Diablo – it has been a challenge, but the team is making progress.
Rod Fergusson, Blizzard
However, for Fergusson, it was a significant adjustment to work from home, especially since the instructions came shortly after he started working at Blizzard.
I was only in the office for eight days. I started on a Tuesday, and the following Thursday, everyone had to work from home. That’s really hard for me. Those who know me understand that I thrive on being in a room with people, talking to them, motivating them, and being able to understand and collaborate with them. Doing that from a screen is really difficult for me.
Rod Fergusson, Blizzard
What does this mean? Despite Corona and remote work, the team at Blizzard is working hard on the development of Diablo 4 and is making good progress. So we need not fear that there will be a significant delay.
However, we still do not know when the new hack and slash will be released.
Before Diablo 4, Blizzard is likely to release the mobile game Diablo Immortal. The new trailer already shows a game that looks almost finished, which gives hope for a soon release.
