Rod Fergusson, one of the founding members of the Gears of War series and the man who has been part of the team for every single release, has announced he is leaving Microsoft to join the Diablo IV team and Blizzard. Rod announced the news on Twitter where he shared his love for the Gears of War series and how he began working on it 15 years ago.
RELATED: Phil Spencer Says Amazon and Google are Xbox’s Biggest Competition
I began working on Gears of War over 15 years ago and since then, it has been the joy of my life. But now it’s time for a new adventure. I leave Gears in the great hands of The Coalition and can’t wait for everyone to play Gears Tactics on April 28. pic.twitter.com/Az5w0B631i
— Rod Fergusson (@GearsViking) February 5, 2020
Rod started working at Microsoft in 1996 before moving to Epic Games in 2005 where he was part of the original Gears of War team. He also worked at Irrational during the development of Bioshock Infinite. He managed the team at Epic Games and then later at Microsoft’s Coalition after the company opened the first-party studio.
Starting in March, I will join Blizzard to oversee the Diablo franchise. 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. pic.twitter.com/0FuO3RFYSQ
— Rod Fergusson (@GearsViking) February 5, 2020
Rod Fergusson has played a crucial role at not only Microsoft but also propelling the Gears of War series into what it is today. Gears 5 is one of the best games on the Microsoft platform. You can read my review of it here. Diablo IV was announced last year during BlizzCon 2018. You can find out more about the upcoming action RPG here.