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Diablo 4 lead says there are currently 'no plans' to be on Xbox Game Pass

Diablo franchise general manager Rod Fergusson addressed rumors and demands for Diablo 4 on Game Pass, claiming it wasn't in the works right now.

TJ Denzer

March 14, 2023 9:50 AM

Image via Activision Blizzard

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Diablo franchise general manager Rod Fergusson said ahead of the Diablo 4 beta this week that there are currently “no plans” for the game on Xbox Game Pass. With Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard very close at hand, questions continue about what Xbox will pull into its Game Pass program, especially regarding games like Diablo 4. Unfortunately, until the deal is settled, it doesn’t seem like Diablo 4 on Xbox Game Pass is in the cards.

Fergusson addressed the matter on his personal Twitter on March 13, 2023. It was there that while he was happy to see enthusiasm was high for Diablo 4, there was no news to share on the Xbox Game Pass front, shutting down rumors that the game was already headed to the program at the moment.

“We’ve been getting some questions about [Diablo 4] on Game Pass and I want to let you know we have no plans for that,” Fergusson wrote. “See you in Sanctuary during the Beta Early Access weekend starting on March 17!”

Ever since Microsoft announced its intention to acquire Activision Blizzard to the tune of nearly $70 billion USD, fans and players have wondered about which Activision Blizzard games would make their way to Game Pass. If the past is any indication, Xbox would likely be cool with “All of them”. However, there are still plenty of matters to work out, including closing the acquisition itself. Nonetheless, Xbox and Activision Blizzard have caught no lack of scrutiny over how Microsoft would handle Activision Blizzard’s franchises and IP. Call of Duty has been one of the hot button topics throughout hearings, but Diablo still has a lot of star power in Activision Blizzard’s current lineup.

Nonetheless, Diablo 4 doesn’t come out until June 6. As we near the upcoming Open Beta this month, stay tuned as we continue to watch for updates on the Microsoft/Activision Blizzard deal, as well as word of Acti-Blizz titles on Xbox Game Pass.

TJ Denzer

Senior News Editor

TJ Denzer is a player and writer with a passion for games that has dominated a lifetime. He found his way to the Shacknews roster in late 2019 and has worked his way to Senior News Editor since. Between news coverage, he also aides notably in livestream projects like the indie game-focused Indie-licious, the Shacknews Stimulus Games, and the Shacknews Dump. You can reach him at tj.denzer@shacknews.com and also find him on BlueSky @JohnnyChugs.