Diablo 4’s lead class designer departs Blizzard after 15 years of work

Adam Jackson, the Lead Class Designer of Diablo 4, is leaving Blizzard. After 15 years of designing classes for the iconic Blizzard ARPG series, Jackson has decided to hang up his scythe and leave the series behind.

Jackson has been a face for the Diablo community for years with the veteran developer joining countless Campfire Chats and community forum posts over the years. However, the game dev is leaving the series behind in favour of new horizons.

Diablo 4 class designer departs

Announced on Twitter, Jackson revealed that he is departing Blizzard after 15 years of service at the company. Since joining on World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, the developer rose through the ranks before becoming Lead Class Designer on Diablo 4.

“What a long, strange trip it’s been,” Jackson told fans on the social media platform. “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.”

What a long, strange trip it's been.

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

— Riot Adam Jackson (@AZJackson85) January 29, 2025

Jackson’s work on Diablo 4 has resulted in the release of Spiritborn, bringing one of the best unique classes in the form of Spiritborn. With 60% of players quickly gravitating towards the awesome new class, some people even forgot about the lack of Paladins in the latest action RPG. Not everyone, but some.

Despite Jackson’s departure, work on D4 is far from done. The current Season of Witchcraft has been very well received and there’s no sign of stopping. While there’s no confirmation yet, a new expansion appears to be in the works alongside a brand-new class that should be similar to the Paladin heroes that players are still craving.

For more Diablo coverage, read about how series lead Rod Fergusson believes players don’t actually want classic Diablo back or read about how Elon Musk is actually a cheater if you still care about that grub.