Diablo 4 is one of the most anticipated releases of 2023. The first Diablo game was released over 25 years ago and has since evolved into a genre-defining series. Now, with the upcoming release of Diablo 4, console players can join in on the demon-slaying fun on release. Xbox players, in particular, are wondering whether or not Diablo 4 is coming to Xbox Game Pass. Here’s what you need to know.
Is Diablo 4 Coming to Xbox Game Pass?
It is highly likely Diablo 4 will come to Xbox Game Pass if Microsoft completes the acquisition of Activision Blizzard. As for when that is, it’s safe to assume we can expect the titles to make their way over to Game Pass as soon as a few days after the deal closes. Phil Spencer has already confirmed several Activision titles will be coming to Game Pass.
While we already know some core Activision Blizzard titles will come to Game Pass, it all hinges on if and when the acquisition comes to a close. The deal has been under scrutiny by regulators, so there are a lot of hurdles to overcome for Microsoft.
Microsoft is no stranger to acquisitions — they finalized an acquisition of ZeniMax Media, the parent company of Bethesda Softworks and eight studios, on March 9, 2021. That was a little under six months after the announcement that they entered into an agreement to acquire ZeniMax Media. Most Bethesda games were added to Game Pass three days after the acquisition, on March 12, 2021.
Using history as an indicator, we can assume the same thing will happen with the Activision Blizzard acquisition. Microsoft announced its intent to acquire Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion in an all-cash deal back on January 18, 2022. Assuming the deal is completed, we’ll potentially see many Activision Blizzard games immediately come to Game Pass in as little as a few days.
Some titles may take longer than others to make their way to Xbox Game Pass, and PC Game Pass games may be slower due to their Battle.net integration — but only time will tell how that will be handled.
Whether Diablo 4 will be a Day One release on Xbox Game Pass is up in the air, but we wouldn’t count on it given that the game officially launches on June 6, 2023. We’ll be sure to update this page as soon as we get more information on the matter.
Check out our Diablo Section in the meantime for the latest updates on the highly-anticipated upcoming Diablo 4.
