Blizzard Entertainment
Diablo IV on Game Pass? This is Blizzard’s response to the alleged announcement
With Microsoft officially being allowed to acquire Activision Blizzard, fans have jumped on a rumor about Diablo IV coming to Game Pass. But the devs have responded.
It’s been a busy few weeks for Diablo IV fans, with the reveal of Season 1, fixes and controversies, and now with the announcement of Microsoft “winning” the trial against the FTC in their attempts to buy Activision Blizzard. But this last one has made the community wonder if it means that the game will make its way onto Xbox Game Pass.
After a Brazilian payment app called PICPay posted an advertisement that Diablo IV was “available now” on the service, fans where left confused. The ad was removed soon after, but the rumor had already been shared and made its rounds around social networks. With the imminent confirmation of Microsoft being allowed to move on with the purchase of the company, the news where taken as fact, and fans started searching for answers directly from the developers themselves. However, what they got in response was probably not what they wanted to hear.
It was the president of Blizzard himself, Mike Ybarra, who simply stated that “This is not happening.” Soon after the confirmation would have been announced, but there have been no further comments by any of the parties involved about the game coming to any version of Game Pass.
As of this moment, fans on Xbox have apparently been holding off on buying Diablo IV in the hopes that the Microsoft/Activision Blizzard deal goes through and their entire library is made available on the service. While some are struggling to not get the game right now, others are still not convinced enough to buy a copy, but say that they would play it if it was given to them through Game Pass.
Microsoft has big plans for Game Pass
The fans have reason to be excited and hopeful of these titles coming to Game Pass: since the announcement of the deal, Microsoft has touted their plans to offer Activision Blizzard’s entire library of games on the service. “”We intend to make Activision Blizzard’s much-loved library of games – including Overwatch, Diablo and Call of Duty – available in Game Pass and to grow those gaming communities,”said the head of Xbox, Phil Spencer, back in September of last year.
Now, the trial against the FTC has gone in favor of Xbox and its parent company, and it seems like they’ll be able to act on their many plans. According to the court statement, they’ve reached a verdict that “finds the FTC has not shown a likelihood it will prevail on its claim this particular vertical merger in this specific industry may substantially lessen competition.”
Microsoft is now being allowed to carry on. What this means for the rest of the industry is still a mystery, but one for which we’ll hopefully get answers soon.