The gaming industry is anxiously awaiting the outcome of Microsoft’s attempt to acquire Activision Blizzard and while this is not finalized, we end up discovering a series of bombastic revelations about the backstage of companies like Xbox and PlayStation.
One of the reasons why many hope for the approval of the merger is the possibility of having simultaneous releases from Activision Blizzard on Game Pass, but unfortunately, Diablo IV will not be one of the games to enter the service, at least not for now.
Rod Fergusson, general manager of the Diablo franchise at Blizzard, revealed on his Twitter that “there are no plans” to include the upcoming Diablo IV in Game Pass. Fortunately, that doesn’t seem like a definite “no”.
Microsoft has repeatedly said that one of the main objectives of the acquisition is to expand the Game Pass offering, which suggests that the launch would also add to the service’s catalog.
It’s awesome seeing the excitement around the Diablo IV Beta, and our Wolf Pack puppy! We’ve been getting some questions about D4 on Game Pass and I want to let you know we have no plans for that. See you in Sanctuary during the Beta Early Access weekend starting on March 17!
—Rod Fergusson (@RodFergusson) March 13, 2023
As interesting as the launch on Game Pass is from a consumer perspective, several industry figures have already spoken about how the subscription model is not profitable for developers, which affects the final quality of games. In addition, representatives of Activision Blizzard were also not very enthusiastic about the idea of launching their games on Game Pass, even after the possible merger with Microsoft.
For now, we can only wait for the official launch of Diablo IV on June 6, 2023. Before the launch, Blizzard will conduct two tests of the game: one between March 17 and 20 for those who pre-ordered and another between March 24th and March 27th for all players.