Rod Fergusson has revealed that there are no current plans to bring Diablo 4 to Xbox Game Pass.
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It still sounds unbelievable, but it's true. Microsoft now owns Activision Blizzard and all of their IPs after the historic $70B-worth transaction.
This means that iconic franchises now owned by the tech giant such as Diablo, Warcraft, StarCraft, Crash Bandicoot or Call of Duty might soon become Xbox exclusives.
Nonetheless, it is still far too early to know how exactly will things play out and what does this deal mean for the future of the upcoming Activision Blizzard games, and we will probably not get all the answers this year, as it is expected the deal to be completed in mid-2023.
Still, that doesn't mean that we can't make some educated guesses, based on Microsoft's general gaming strategy and how they have handled their Bethesda acquisition.
For Diablo fans, currently one of the biggest questions is if this means that Diablo 4 will be available on Xbox Game Pass on Day 1. Here's what to know about the Diablo 4 Game Pass.
Will Diablo 4 be available on Xbox Game Pass Day 1?
Diablo IV, the 4th instalment in the iconic series that has defined the action RPG genre, is currently one of the most anticipated Blizzard's games.
It seems like Diablo 4 is bringing the franchise back to its gritty and gloomy roots, with a lot of blood and brutal violence. In terms of gameplay design, the game remains the love letter to hardcore hack and slash fans, while also introducing many innovative mechanics and features in order to reinvigorate the familiar formula.
Diablo 3 was one of the best-selling PC games when it was released, and there's no doubt that Diablo 4 will have huge sales as well, but maybe an even bigger player base if Microsoft decides to put the game on Xbox Game Pass.
And that will most likely happen at launch, as one of Microsoft's core pylons of business strategy is to release all first-party games (which Blizzard games now are) on Xbox Game Pass on Day 1.
This was partially confirmed in the official announcement of the acquisition, where they stated their goal is to "offer as many Activision Blizzard games as we can within Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass," adding that they plan to do that for "both new titles and games from Activision Blizzard’s incredible catalogue."
When is Diablo 4 coming to Xbox Game Pass?
The current prediction is that the deal between Microsoft and Activision Blizzard will be completed in the summer of 2023, at which point Microsoft will take full control of the publisher.
Around that time Activision Blizzard games will slowly start to appear on Xbox Game Pass, and given that Diablo 4 will most likely be released in the second half of 2023, Diablo 4 will almost certainly be available on Xbox Game Pass at launch.
The same probably goes for Diablo 3 and Diablo 2 Resurrected, which will probably become available on Xbox Game Pass immediately upon the completion of the deal.
With that being said, that's all you need to know about Overwatch on Xbox Game Pass.
- Read more: Is WoW coming to Xbox Game Pass?
Featured image courtesy of Activision Blizzard / Microsoft.
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