Diablo 4 is coming to Game Pass this March

thesixthaxis.com:

Xbox are set to make some big changes to their business strategy, and while they’re bringing some of their previously exclusive games to other platforms, they’re continuing to build on the popularity of their Game Pass service in the most obvious way possible, by bringing Activision Blizzard games to the service. That starts with the release of Diablo IV on March 28th.

Diablo IV was one of the biggest releases of 2023, gaining a coveted 9/10 from us and winning a bunch of accolades from fans of the franchise and the wider community. Our very own Gamoc said, “Diablo IV is almost shockingly refined, with an absorbing story and addictive gameplay. The shift to always online and connected play might turn some away, and the level scaling can make combat a little same-y, but on the whole, this is still Diablo at its best. It plays very well, offers tonnes of options for tailoring your character and acquiring that all important hunt for better and better loot will keep you coming back for more.”

It’s fair to say that these kind of inclusions to Game Pass are making it one of the best deals in gaming, and Microsoft will be hoping to capture more and more subscribers to the service, particularly now that it’s easier to access on iOS platforms. The question of Xbox’ position in the console building market hasn’t been truly answered, but Game Pass might well become the Xbox platform in the long run.

This is all following the contentious Activision-Blizzard merger which Microsoft have had to battle through various challenges, particularly from the CMA, on their path to becoming one of the biggest gaming companies in the world. The interesting thing is that following this merger, and which required them to make various assurances that key franchises would remain available elsewhere, they’re deciding to roll out some of their own exclusive games to other platforms as well.