Update [Fri 16th Feb, 2024 04:30 GMT]:
The Verge's senior editor has reached out to Microsoft and confirmed Diablo 4 "won't" be available to Xbox Game Pass Core subscribers.
"Diablo IV is coming to Xbox Game Pass on March 28th, with the exception of the Xbox Game Pass Core catalog,” says Kari Perez, head of communications for Xbox, in a statement to The Verge."
Original story [Thu 15th Feb, 2024 20:20 GMT]:
As part of today's official Xbox podcast on the future of the platform, Microsoft has confirmed the very first Activision Blizzard game that's coming to the Game Pass library. On March 28th, Blizzard's Diablo 4 will be available on the service across Xbox and PC.
The team announced this first ActiBlizz arrival as part of a general commitment towards Xbox Game Pass. Activision Blizzard games are coming to the service, despite all of the rumours and speculation about the viability of Xbox's current strategy ahead of today's event.
As for Diablo 4 itself, we thought it was a cracker to be honest. On release last summer we scored the game 9/10 in our Pure Xbox review - do check that out down below along with all of the big news from Xbox's business update.
Hyped to play Diablo 4 on Xbox Game Pass? Tell us what you think to this reveal down below!
Comments 27
why only one ActiBlizz game?
Oh hey. I guess I'll finally play this then.
I'm assuming the wait is to port xbox functionality and play anywhere into all the pc versions. EA and Ubi games are completely detached from xbox pc, no achievements or multiplayer outside of full crossplay etc, and they can't do that with Blizzard so integrating battle.net into the xbox ecosystem without breaking warcraft, starcraft, hearthstone etc is possibly the hold up.
It was a good game but maan did it get boring fast. And the silly microtransactions did not help neither.
@Kaloudz I'm with you. I bet we get a motherload drop in June at their showcase.
Enjoying this on Steam Deck, will be able to carry over my game to my Xbox too.
It’s going to be a drip feed of ABK games, will never dump many at once, they will use it to plug gaps in a month or cover a genre.
@Kaloudz They just called it the Summer Showcase, I think.
Well its dwindling player base to sell more stuff to is drastically in need of a boost - so Game Pass makes ultimate sense to get it on as soon as 'legally' as possible so that all the 'new' players boost the dwindling economy to keep it going...
This is a big one. I take this as a sign that they are all on the way. There were rumors (probably false) that ABK was still trying to avoid gamepass if possible.
This is the right one to focus on first if they can't do call of duty yet.
@BacklogBrad Yes, it makes sense to bring the new and big ones first. I guess the first Call of Duty on Game Pass will be the newest, too. I also think that @RexPowercolt is right and if you pay attention, there is one bit when they talked about integrating the new content and that means another thing they repeated, the Xbox ecosystem: cross-save, cross-play, Cloud, etc.
Oh great, the worst most current title of the lot they can pick from. How generous 😂
Hell yeah this got me juiced up!
Cool! I actually expected that older games from the Diablo franchise will be released first and Diablo 4 will be kept as the diamond as one of the latest Blizzard titles released on GamePass.
Will MS/Xbox have the guts to drop the new CoD in Game Pass? That would be a gamble. Maybe it would work out for them. The ol' $35 for DLC, boosts and early access will be offered, of course.
@theduckofdeath
MS explicitly said in the business update that first party games come to GamePass. I expect that will be all of them. They did not say there would be any exclusions.
A tricky thing MS could do is keep CoD Warzone as multi-platform and instead of calling CoD Modern Warfare, CoD Black Ops, CoD WWII, etc. game drop the CoD name and let them be stand alone campaigns exclusive to XB.
It's great they are finally dropping but could of picked a better game or even more than one imo I'm not into diablo
I think this was announced as a 'peace offering' to confused fans.
But hey, it's a big game and so it's definitely very welcome.
Personally I'd have preferred more openness and honesty about their future directions, but given the huge over-reactions to the initial rumours, I do have sympathy for the tightrope they needed to walk in the cast.
@BAMozzy I wouldn't say that 34+ million Game Pass subscribers is a dwindling player base 🤷♂️
@RetroMan71 I never said anything about 'Game Pass' having a Dwindling player base!!!
What I was referring to was Diablo 4's dwindling player base that is no longer playing the game to 'buy' any of the 'extras' that keeps games supported and supplied with 'new' content.
It makes sense to put Diablo 4 on Game Pass as soon as possible to inject Players into this game which in turn also brings back players who purchased. That then gives them a 'larger' player base to 'buy' extras etc - thus increasing the Games longevity and support instead of it dwindling away to die...
If they put Diablo 3 or Prototype into Game Pass, it doesn't really bring 'revenue' in that will help those games continue to be supported with expansions, micro-transactions etc...
Diablo 4 needs Game Pass more than Game Pass needs D4 to reach more people and bring funds in so the Devs can keep making their 'planned' content for it...
@BAMozzy Ahhh! apologies... I misinterpreted your comment..👍
Installed the trial a while back, but didn't play it.
Is it multiplayer/co-op only?
Won't go near it if it is.
I've been waiting for this
Does it support crossplay?
@BBB Thank you
Thanks BBB
After Elder Scrolls online I'll never play a MMORPG or Co-op again!
Removed - inappropriate; user is banned
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