The Diablo IV previous director, Luis Barriga, was one of those people who departed the company, which needed quite some time to unveil his successor.

In August, Activision Blizzard confirmed Barriga’s departure. However, at that time, there was no official explanation behind why he left the publisher. But at the same time, two other people, who were named the in sexual misconduct allegations, namely World of Warcraft designer Jonathan LeCraft and designer Jesse McCree (Overwatch might ring a bell…), have also departed Activision Blizzard.

“We can confirm Luis Barriga, Jesse McCree, and Jonathan LeCraft are no longer with the company. We have a deep, talented roster of developers already in place, and new leaders have been assigned where appropriate. We are confident in our ability to continue progress, deliver amazing experiences to our players, and move forward to ensure a safe, productive work environment for all,” Activision Blizzard said in August.

Now, we know that Luis Barriga’s spot is filled by Joe Shely, who formerly worked as a design lead. Here’s his statement: “Like many of you, our team has been reflecting upon recent events. Since our last blog, a lot has happened, and the hard work of practising the values we aspire to must continue. In parallel with that important work, the development of Diablo IV continues too.

Over the past few years, we’ve assembled a strong team with an incredible passion for Diablo IV. You, Diablo’s fans, are a critical part of this team. With the help of your valuable feedback, we’ve steadily refined and deepened the game experience. We have ways to go, and while much has changed, our commitment to the game is unwavering,” Shely wrote.

Diablo IV has no release date yet. It might arrive in 2022, but 2023 can’t be ruled out either due to a pandemic.

Source: PSL