“Employees described Fergusson, now in charge of the entire Diablo series, as holding regular weekly Zoom meetings he dubbed the “Rodcast,” where several hundred people would join. Fergusson would discuss movies he enjoyed or celebrities he had spent time with. He would also address the team’s problem with attrition and share employee survey results, but employees felt that not much actually came out of these discussions.”
“To me, he came off as a bit of a clout chaser about where he came from, like ‘Gears of War,’” said a former employee. “People got frustrated because we all thought he was gonna come in and fix the game. And when nothing happened, that’s when you started to see this massive turnover.”
Thus, Fergusson proved not to be the game leader many had hoped for. Instead, he came across as someone who prioritized establishing authority through empty rhetoric and constant prodding. The outcome of his leadership style was evident: a half-finished yet popular game. The decline the game is experiencing now calls for a new direction, and Fergusson’s departure might just be the fresh start it needs. If he stays, the toxic work culture he has fostered from top to bottom might drive away those who genuinely love gaming and are committed to delivering surprises for players. What would remain is a marketing team that doesn’t think critically, focusing solely on being “politically correct” and releasing “that” video everyone hates!!