Gears Of War boss Rod Fergusson leaves studio to join Blizzard

• Rod Fergusson is leaving Microsoft's The Coalition to join Blizzard
• He has worked on the Gears Of War franchise since it began in 2006
• His move to Blizzard will see him helm the Diablo franchise

Rod Fergusson, who has worked on the Gears Of War franchise for 15 years, announced he’s departing the studio for “a new adventure”.  

In a post on Twitter, Rod wrote: “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.” 

Fergusson has worked on the Gears Of War franchise since its inception in 2006 at developer Epic Games. When Microsoft acquired the rights in 2014, they opened new studio The Coalition specifically to create Gears Of War titles – assigning Fergusson as the studio head.

In a follow-up tweet, Fergusson explained he was leaving The Coalition to oversee the Diablo franchise at Blizzard, writing: “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.” 

As studio head at The Coalition, Fergusson spearheaded recent entries Gears Of War 4 and Gears 5 which, while well received, arguably didn’t do much to revitalize the formula.  

Fergusson’s arrival to helm the Diablo franchise might be a good switch though, with Diablo IV on the horizon, along with divisive mobile spin-off Diablo: Immortal.  

It’s the second high-profile departure from a major studio this week, with Dan Houser set to depart Rockstar Games in March.