The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on the gaming industry, as it has delayed the release dates for several games. But the pandemic isn’t holding Blizzard back from pushing forward with development for Diablo 4, according Game Producer Rod Fergusson.
Fergusson said in a recent GDC live stream Q&A that, despite the challenges of working from home, development on Diablo 4 is progressing smoothly. “And we on Diablo continue to – it's been challenging, but the team is just moving forward," Fergusson said. But while Fergusson confirmed that development is advancing on Diablo 4, he still did not give a release date.
The next installment of the isometric action-roleplaying game was first announced at BlizzCon 2019 with a cinematic trailer that made fans even more hyped for the long-awaited game. Each new Diablo installment is a momentous occasion for fans, as releases in the franchise are almost decades apart. Only three Diablo games have released in the past 23 years. Several details on Diablo 4 have already been revealed, including the game's four playable classes and where Blizzard might take the story.
Fergusson is an industry veteran who in the past has worked for Epic Games and Irrational Games. In his latest move, he left his role at The Coalition, where he led development on the fourth and fifth entries in the Gears of War franchise, for Blizzard to oversee development on Diablo 4. The transition was made right before the COVID-19 Pandemic hit, giving Fergusson only eight days in the office before he and the rest of Blizzard’s staff were forced to work from home.
“I started Tuesday and then the following Thursday, everyone was work from home,” he said during the live stream.
But despite the drawbacks of working from home, Fergusson said he and his fellow game developers are making solid progress and that working from home his actually “going very well.” He added that Blizzard is keeping up productivity by taking steps to assist its employees, which include paying for their internet expenses, making sure they have regular breaks and even sending them snack boxes. Blizzard has already pushed out content since staff began working from home, including two Hearthstone expansions. The developer is also working on World of Warcraft’s Shadowlands expansion that is slated to release this fall.
While Diablo 4 still does not have a release date, Blizzard recently announced that it will have a virtual BlizzCon in early 2021. Fans will probably have to wait until to find out when Diablo 4 will finally drop.
Diablo 4 is in development for PC, Xbox One and PlayStation 4.
Source: pcgamer.com