When's the Right Time for Diablo 5? Blizzard's Rod Fergusson Wants Diablo 4 'To Be Around for Years... I Don't Know if It's Eternal'

At the DICE Summit 2025, Rod Fergusson, the general manager of the Diablo series, opened his keynote with a candid discussion about one of the franchise's most infamous setbacks: Error 37. This error, which occurred at the launch of Diablo 3, left countless players unable to access the game due to overwhelming server demand. It led to significant backlash against Blizzard and even became a meme. Despite the initial hiccup, Blizzard managed to resolve the issue, and Diablo 3 eventually became a success story. However, the memory of Error 37 serves as a stark reminder for Blizzard, particularly as they navigate the increasingly complex landscape of live service games with Diablo 4.

Diablo, Immortal

During the summit in Las Vegas, I had the opportunity to speak with Fergusson following his presentation titled "Evolving Sanctuary: Building a Resilient Live-Service Game in Diablo IV." In his talk, Fergusson outlined four crucial elements for maintaining Diablo 4's resilience: scaling the game effectively, ensuring a steady flow of content, being flexible with design purity, and keeping players informed about future updates, even if it means sacrificing some surprises.

Fergusson emphasized the importance of keeping players engaged over the long term, a significant shift from the traditional model of the Diablo series, which relied more on periodic expansions and updates. With Diablo 4, the team is fully embracing the live service model, planning frequent updates, ongoing seasons, and major expansions at regular intervals.

Fergusson responded that while he doesn't envision Diablo 4 as eternal, he certainly wants it to last for many years. He referenced Destiny's initial ten-year plan, which didn't fully materialize, and stressed the importance of showing players a clear roadmap. "We want it to be around for years," he said. "I don't know if it's eternal. We want people to see the road ahead, because we know that, to play a Diablo game, you're probably putting hundreds of hours in and we want people to know that we're respecting their time and that we're not just here and gone."

Fergusson, who joined Blizzard in 2020 after leading the Gears franchise, highlighted the significant time gaps between previous Diablo releases—over a decade between Diablo 2 and 3, and another decade between Diablo 3 and 4. However, he noted that Diablo 4's planned aggressive update schedule is a new approach. He's cautious about setting firm timelines, having learned from past experiences. For instance, he announced at the summit that Diablo 4's second expansion, Vessel of Hatred, would not arrive until 2026, a delay from the originally planned 12 months to 18 months due to shifting staff to address immediate game updates.

Ruining the Surprise…on Purpose

Fergusson's approach to transparency is a key aspect of Diablo 4's live service strategy. He discussed the upcoming content roadmap, set to be revealed in April, and the Public Test Realm (PTR), where players can test upcoming patches before they go live. Initially, the team was hesitant about spoiling surprises, but Fergusson has come to see the value in transparency.

"You just realize that it's better to ruin the surprise for 10,000 people so that millions of people have a great season," he said during his talk. He elaborated that even if the PTR feedback is negative, it's preferable to a prolonged recovery from a surprise update gone wrong.

Fergusson also mentioned the challenge of expanding the PTR to consoles, currently limited to PC due to certification issues. However, with the support of parent company Xbox, Blizzard is working on this. He highlighted the benefits of Diablo 4's presence on Game Pass, which removes barriers to entry and attracts new players continuously.

All Hours Diablo

In our conversation, I asked Fergusson about his recent gaming experiences, particularly if he had played Path of Exile 2 and his thoughts on comparisons to Diablo 4. He dismissed the comparisons, stating, "They're very different games." Yet, he acknowledged the need to consider fans of both games when planning updates, especially regarding season scheduling to avoid conflicts.

Fergusson shared his top three games of 2024 by playtime: NHL 24 in third, Destiny 2 in second, and unsurprisingly, Diablo 4 in first. He revealed he has logged 650 hours on his home retail account, not including work time, and is currently playing as a Companion Druid and a Dance of Knives Rogue. His passion for Diablo is evident, as he explained his gaming habits: "It's something about the habit of the game. I get interrupted from- I'm halfway through Cyberpunk, I'm halfway through Witcher 3, I'm halfway through Space Marines 2000. I get to these points where I am into a non-service game, then I get distracted by something shiny. But I have this habit of, I got to go do my daily in NHL to go open my free pack of cards, and I have to go play with my brother in Destiny 2 because this is what the game we play together on. And then I just...The reason I came to Diablo five years ago was because it was my favorite game to play. So just because I work and I work doesn't stop me from going home and playing it for hours and hours too."