We’ve seen snippets of information and press reports about life at Blizzard over the past few years and a lot of it has been uncomfortable reading. So how has Blizzard turned things around with the development team and the making of Diablo 4?
In a lengthy and insightful article on Esquire, they popped into Blizzard and interviewed current and previous employees to find out how things were turned around. A few key players jump out in this including Rod Fergusson and Joe Shely who we have all become familiar with over the past year or so. Perhaps we would not be playing Diablo 4 today without team players like them.
After reading this, it’s actually a surprise the game has made its release date, you’d think with all the internal scandals and turbulence the game would have been delayed time and time again. This article is worth a read because it highlights how important it is that all voices are heard and all employees are respected.
Here’s a quick snip:
The departures of Barriga and McCree left a leadership vacuum on the Diablo IV team, and another wave of staff attrition followed in the wake of the Townsend email. But on October 7, 2021, Blizzard announced a new game director whose management and vision—including knowing when to get out of his team’s way—would help shepherd Diablo IV across the finish line in less than two years.
“When Joe stepped into that role, he did not bring an ego with him,” says Rod Fergusson, the executive producer and head of the entire Diablo franchise. “He didn’t start to unravel things [just to make them his], but he did come in with a strength of vision and a confidence that allowed [the team] to continue moving forward, even when [he] wasn’t necessarily aligned with previous visions.”
Read the full article here.