The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on the gaming industry as it has delayed the release dates of many games. However, according to game producer Rod Ferguson, the pandemic will not stop Blizzard from moving forward with the development of Diablo 4.
Ferguson said in a recent GDC Q&A broadcast that despite the challenges of working from home, the development of the Diablo 4 is progressing smoothly. “And we’re going on in the Diablo program - it was tough, but the team is moving forward,” Ferguson said. But while Ferguson confirmed that the development of Diablo 4 was progressing, he did not specify a release date.
The next installment of the isometric role-playing game was first announced in BlizzCon 2019 with a movie broadcast that made fans an even more exciting long-awaited game. Each new installment of Diablo is a critically acclaimed occasion for fans, and franchise releases have separated for almost decades. Only three Diablo games have been released in the last 23 years. Numerous details about Diablo 4 have already been revealed, including the game’s four playable categories and points Blizzard might tell the story of.
Fergusson is considered a veteran of the field and has previously worked in epic games and irrational games. In his most recent move, he left his role in the Coalition, in the fourth and fifth entries in the Gears of War French, the top title development, for Blizzard to oversee development in Diablo 4. The move took place just before the COVID-19 pandemic, when Ferguson gave office only eight days before that. He and other Blizzard employees are forced to work from home.
“It started on Tuesday and then the following Thursday, everyone was working from home,” he said live. But despite the disadvantages of working from home, Ferguson said there is strong progress with him and other game developers and that working from home "is going well." He added that Blizzard maintains productivity by working to help its employees, including paying for their Internet expenses, making sure they get regular breaks, and even sending them snack boxes.
Blizzard has already added content since employees started working from their homes, including two Hearthstone extensions. The developer is also working on a World of Warcraft company’s Shadowlands plugin, which is scheduled for release this fall. While Diablo 4 still has a release date, Blizzard recently announced that it will have virtual BlizzCon in early 2021. Fans may have to wait until we know when Diablo 4 is finally down. Diablo 4 gold store is here!