Summary
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate welcomes two heavyweight titles today: EA Sports UFC 5 and Diablo. These additions, released a remarkable 27 years apart, mark the culmination of Wave 1 for January 2025's XGP lineup.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers can jump into EA Sports UFC 5 and Diablo immediately. These are the third and fourth games added to the service this January.
Diablo, a legendary title that essentially defined the hack-and-slash RPG genre, needs no introduction. Its arrival on Game Pass is a momentous occasion for fans. UFC 5, the latest installment in EA Sports' acclaimed MMA fighting game series, launched in October 2023 and represents the cutting edge of the genre.
These two games, separated by almost 27 years, are now united on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, launching later today, January 14th. While Microsoft prioritizes multi-platform games, both titles deviate from this norm: Diablo is PC-exclusive, and EA Sports UFC 5 requires an Xbox Series X/S for local play. However, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers with sufficient internet speed can stream UFC 5 via Xbox Cloud Gaming.
Xbox Game Pass Now Boasts Over a Dozen Activision Blizzard Titles
With Diablo's addition, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate now offers 13 Activision Blizzard titles—counting Spyro Reignited Trilogy and Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy as three games each. This averages almost one new Activision Blizzard title per month since Microsoft's acquisition in late 2023. While many more Activision Blizzard games are slated for release on Game Pass, the influx is clearly accelerating.
Upcoming Xbox Game Pass Games
EA Sports UFC 5 and Diablo conclude January 2025's Wave 1 additions to Xbox Game Pass. Wave 2 is anticipated soon, possibly January 21st, aligning with Microsoft's usual Tuesday announcements.
Further Xbox Game Pass announcements might arrive before month's end, given the January 23rd Xbox Developer Direct. Microsoft confirmed this event will showcase Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, South of Midnight, and Doom: The Dark Ages—all day-one Xbox Game Pass Ultimate titles slated for 2025 release, but awaiting official dates. Before the Developer Direct, six games will leave Xbox Game Pass on January 15th, including Insurgency: Sandstorm and Those Who Remain.
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