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.

Image via Activision Blizzard
12

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!”

Diablo general manager Rod Fergusson's tweet on the Game Pass situation for Diablo 4.
Rod Fergusson says that there are currently no plans to bring Diablo 4 to Xbox Game Pass.
Source: Twitter

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.

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 Twitter @JohnnyChugs.

From The Chatty
  • reply
    March 14, 2023 9:50 AM

    TJ Denzer posted a new article, Diablo 4 lead says there are currently 'no plans' to be on Xbox Game Pass

    • reply
      March 14, 2023 9:52 AM

      I wouldn't think this would happen while Activision is still a separate entity.

    • reply
      March 14, 2023 10:07 AM

      Like the higher ups would tell him their plans.

    • reply
      March 14, 2023 10:13 AM

      Ooh a production peon opines.

      • reply
        March 14, 2023 10:21 AM

        He's a general manager! I'm sure he only has 15 bosses above him at Activision

    • Zek legacy 10 years legacy 20 years
      reply
      March 14, 2023 12:15 PM

      I'm not sure they're even allowed to be making such plans right now.

    • reply
      March 14, 2023 12:17 PM

      lol as if

    • reply
      March 14, 2023 2:10 PM

      You're telling me they don't want to give away their crown jewel for free, when they could instead make a metric fuckload of money on Day 1 by selling full-priced copies that will literally be flying off the shelves?

      Who would have thought.

    • reply
      March 14, 2023 2:13 PM

      Once the acquisition goes through, "plans" will change rapidly.

      • reply
        March 14, 2023 2:16 PM

        Not in this case. Putting Diablo 4 on Gamepass doesn't make any business sense. That shit is going to be printing money.

      • reply
        March 14, 2023 3:43 PM

        Yup. Of course they aren't going to say that themselves, but it's pretty much a given it happens once the sale goes through.

      • reply
        March 14, 2023 4:35 PM

        [deleted]

      • reply
        March 14, 2023 4:56 PM

        It'll probably still be a long while. The deal still hasn't closed and this will probably be one of the most popular PC game launches of all time.

        I'd be surprised if it happened within a year of the deal closing, something that there's still no solid timeline on.

    • reply
      March 14, 2023 2:38 PM

      Considering Diablo 3 sold like 30 million units, inputting it on gamepass seems like a business fail for blizzard

    • reply
      March 14, 2023 2:54 PM

      Diablo 4 on Game Pass is not likely.

      MS do not own Activision yet and D4 is probably gonna be one of the most lucrative launch ever in PC gaming history.



    • reply
      March 14, 2023 5:02 PM

      A mid level artist agrees. Tune in next week to see what senior QA thinks.

Hello, Meet Lola