Diablo 5 Timing: Blizzard's Rod Fergusson on Diablo 4's Longevity

At the DICE Summit 2025, Diablo's general manager, Rod Fergusson, opened his talk by addressing a pivotal moment in the franchise's history: the infamous Error 37 at the launch of Diablo 3. This error, caused by an overwhelming number of simultaneous logins, led to widespread frustration among players and even became a meme. Blizzard eventually resolved the issue, and Diablo 3 went on to become a success, but the experience left a lasting impact. Fergusson and Blizzard are determined to prevent similar issues, especially as Diablo evolves into a more intricate live service model with frequent updates, ongoing seasons, and planned expansions. Diablo 4, in particular, has fully embraced this live service approach, making another major launch failure potentially catastrophic.

Diablo, Immortal

During the DICE Summit 2025 in Las Vegas, I had the opportunity to speak with Rod Fergusson following his talk titled "Evolving Sanctuary: Building a Resilient Live-Service Game in Diablo IV." In his presentation, Fergusson highlighted four key strategies for ensuring the resilience of Diablo 4: scaling the game successfully, maintaining a steady flow of content, being open to design compromises, and keeping players informed about future updates, even if it means sacrificing some surprises.

Fergusson emphasized the team's commitment to keeping players engaged over the long term, contrasting this approach with the more sporadic updates of previous Diablo games. The shift towards a live service model, with detailed content roadmaps and seasons planned well in advance, signals a significant change for the series, aiming to keep the game relevant and engaging for years to come.

When asked about the future of Diablo 4, Fergusson expressed his vision for the game to last "for years," though he stopped short of labeling it as eternal or "immortal." He drew a comparison to Destiny's initial ten-year plan, noting that Diablo 4 aims to respect players' time by providing a clear roadmap of future content. Fergusson, who joined Blizzard in 2020 after leading the Gears franchise, acknowledges the importance of planning ahead without overcommitting, given the extended periods between previous Diablo releases.

Fergusson also shared insights into the development of Diablo 4's second expansion, "Vessel of Hatred," which has been delayed to 2026 due to the need to prioritize immediate updates and the first season. He learned from this experience not to set firm timelines too early, preferring to give players a general sense of the future without locking in specific dates until the team is confident.

Ruining the Surprise...on Purpose

Fergusson's approach to transparency is a key aspect of his strategy, particularly with the upcoming content roadmap in April and the use of the Public Test Realm (PTR). Initially hesitant about spoiling surprises for players, Fergusson now believes it's better to "ruin the surprise for 10,000 people so that millions of people have a great season." This philosophy extends to the PTR, where players can test upcoming patches before they go live, even if it means occasionally having a less-than-ideal week of testing.

Expanding access to the PTR to console players is another challenge Fergusson is addressing, currently limited to PC due to certification issues. However, with the support of parent company Xbox, Blizzard is working to overcome these obstacles. The inclusion of Diablo 4 on Game Pass is also seen as a way to remove barriers to entry and attract more players, similar to its release on Steam alongside Battle.net.

All Hours Diablo

In our conversation, I also touched on Fergusson's personal gaming habits, asking about his thoughts on Path of Exile 2 and how it compares to Diablo 4. He emphasized the differences between the two games but acknowledged the importance of not scheduling seasons to overlap, allowing players to enjoy both without having to choose.

Fergusson shared his top three games of 2024 by playtime: NHL 24 in third place, Destiny 2 in second, and Diablo 4 in first. With over 650 hours on his home account alone, Fergusson's dedication to Diablo is clear. He currently plays as a Companion Druid and has recently started a Dance of Knives Rogue, driven by his deep love for the game and the habits it has formed in his gaming routine.