Xbox has revealed the first Activision Blizzard title to grace the Xbox Game Pass service will be Diablo 4. From March 28, all 34 million Game Pass subscribers will be able to descend into Hell ahead of the hotly-anticipated Season 4.
Announcing the news on the new Xbox Podcast episode, Xbox president Sarah Bond says that the move to bring Diablo 4 and the best games ActiBlizz has to offer to the platform is “all part of our commitment to make Xbox, the Xbox experience, and the games that we build as widely available as possible.”
Commenting on the news, Windows Central’s Jez Corden says he’s heard that Diablo 4 Season 4 will be “the big one.” With a huge itemization overhaul heavily rumored among the changes, Game Pass newbies could be in for a revamped experience. Additionally, the introduction of The Gauntlet and leaderboards appear to have been delayed, and the onset of Season 4 seems to be the golden opportunity for the devs to finally make good on it.
According to the Xbox Wire article accompanying the Xbox Podcast episode, team Xbox will be “sharing more soon” with regards to which games will be joining Diablo 4 on the new Game Pass games list next. It’s certainly a huge opening gambit from Microsoft, but at a time of uncertainty for its gaming division it has little choice but to go big. And it can’t get much bigger than Blizzard’s fastest-selling game ever.
While many would’ve expected ActiBlizz’s extensive back catalog to make its way onto Game Pass first, a more recent blockbuster triple-A game will certainly have more impact when it comes to shifting the needle on subscription numbers. It’s great to see the fruits of that $68.7 billion deal will finally be enjoyed by service subscribers, and we expect to see regular additions to the catalog of best Game Pass games from here on out.
In its 10/10 Diablo 4 review, our friends over at PCGamesN says that it “embodies the essence of what makes Diablo so great, taking the best elements of its predecessors and sewing them together to create an ever-changing, ever-evolving chimera that we can’t wait to play for years to come.” So if you’re wondering if you should jump in on March 28, there’s your answer.
For more of the latest Xbox news, check out Xbox’s confirmation that four exclusives will be setting sail for other platforms. While you’re still here, read up on Microsoft’s remarkable promise for the next-gen Xbox in the power department.