One of the foremost faces of the Diablo 4 development team is stepping down from Blizzard after 15 years at the studio. Diablo 4 lead class designer Adam Jackson has become a popular figure among the ARPG’s community for his enthusiastic campfire chat appearances and frank balance discussions. Now he’s announced that he’s leaving the company, just a short while after the launch of Diablo 4’s seventh season.
Diablo 4 Season 7 has been a strange experience. It’s the first new season the Blizzard RPG has seen since the launch of its massive Vessel of Hatred expansion, and by all accounts it’s got a lot going for it. But with how fast progression is now, and alongside the early days of Path of Exile 2 early access, it feels like it’s flown somewhat under the radar by comparison. Nevertheless, it’s clear that things are largely continuing to move in the right direction for Diablo 4, and Jackson has been at the forefront of that change.
A regular face on the ‘campfire chat’ developer update livestreams, Jackson’s to-the-point and honest approach to discussing the challenges of class balance has won him plenty of plaudits from players. While it’s impossible to know exactly how development goes on behind the scenes, he’s certainly been considered a key part of Diablo 4’s dramatic growth since launch.
Just before the launch of Diablo 4, Jackson told PCGamesN that he was “always happy and unhappy with the balance state of the game,” adding, “I think that’s forever going to be how I feel.” Ahead of the excellent Season 5 overhaul, he remarked that he couldn’t stop laughing at “how wild we went with the unique changes.”
Now, his time with the Diablo 4 team has come to an end. “What a long, strange trip it’s been,” Jackson writes in a post on X. “After 15 years at Blizzard Entertainment it’s finally time to say goodbye. I have so many great memories here. It’s incredibly bittersweet to close this door, but I’m excited for the future and can’t wait to get started on my next adventure.”
Jackson doesn’t say what’s next for him, although as a long-time Monster Hunter enthusiast I’m sure he’ll want to try and put a little time aside for the Monster Hunter Wilds release date if he can. He even made a joke at the start of January about the Capcom RPG’s upcoming launch, saying it “feels like now is the most awkward time to start a new game.”
With Diablo 4 Vessel of Hatred’s second season now out in the wild, and most of the community’s core requests now checked off the wishlist, this feels like an opportune time to make the decision to move on. Nevertheless, it’s sad to see Jackson go. I’ll certainly miss his deep dives into upcoming balance changes and those little glimpses at the work behind the curtain he provided.
For the time being, you can check the best Diablo 4 builds to enjoy Jackson’s most recent work, and be sure to keep an eye on the latest Diablo 4 Twitch drops for any bonus rewards.
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