Diablo 4 Game Pass rumors squashed by Blizzard president

Mike Ybarra once again emphasized that there are no plans for Diablo 4 on Game Pass after a Brazilian game card seller suggested otherwise.

TJ Denzer

July 11, 2023 7:42 AM

Image via Blizzard Entertainment

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With the Activision Blizzard and Microsoft merger seemingly coming into its final paces as the FTC has it out in court, rumors continue to spin as to what it could mean for Activision Blizzard IP in Microsoft’s gaming ecosystem. One of the hot topics in that discussion is Diablo 4 on Game Pass, but Blizzard has said several times there are no plans for it. It was forced to re-emphasize this recently when a Brazilian game card seller suggested that Diablo 4 was part of the offerings for Xbox Game Pass.

Blizzard president Mike Ybarra shut down the latest rumors of Diablo 4 coming to Game Pass on Twitter this week. The conversation started when a Game Pass Tracker Twitter spotted a Brazillian gift card retailer known as PICPAY repping Game Pass with advertisement of Diablo 4 on the program.

“Avaliable Now. Get it now or play it through Xbox Game Pass,” the advertisement claimed before apparently being deleted.

Mike Ybarra responded to the rumor directly, in plain and simple terms: “This is not happening.”

It’s not the first time Activision Blizzard has had to curtail rumors about Diablo 4 on Game Pass. Back in May 2023, a little before the game came out, Activision Blizzard was forced to address the matter again in the thick of legal proceedings regarding the deal with Microsoft. This was also during the time that the Diablo 4 beta was going, stirring excitement for the game. However, franchise manager Rod Fergusson said that while the enthusiasm was appreciated, there were no plans for Diablo 4 on Game Pass back then either.

As popular as Diablo 4 has been, it’s understandable why Xbox players would want it on Game Pass if the Microsoft deal goes through. However, Blizzard seemingly remains adamant it’s not happening for now. Stay tuned as we continue to follow for further updates.

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 Twitter @JohnnyChugs.