"Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Adds Two Games Spanning 27 Years"

Summary

• Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is adding EA Sports UFC 5 and Diablo today.
• Released 27 years apart, these two titles conclude the XGP Wave 1 lineup for January 2025.

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members can dive into the thrilling worlds of EA Sports UFC 5 and Diablo starting today, as these games join the subscription service. These additions mark the third and fourth titles added to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate in January 2025.

Diablo, the iconic hack-and-slash RPG that revolutionized the genre since its debut in 1996, needs no introduction. On the other hand, EA Sports UFC 5, the latest installment in the long-running mixed martial arts series, hit the shelves in October 2023, bringing cutting-edge fighting action to gamers.

Despite being released nearly 27 years apart, both titles are now accessible through Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, available as of January 14. While Microsoft typically aims to include multi-platform games, these two additions are platform-specific: Diablo is exclusive to PC, and EA Sports UFC 5 requires an Xbox Series X/S for local play. However, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers with robust internet can stream UFC 5 via Xbox Cloud Gaming.

Xbox Game Pass Now Offers Over a Dozen Activision Blizzard Titles

With Diablo now part of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, the service boasts a total of 13 Activision Blizzard titles, including Spyro Reignited Trilogy and Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, each counted as three games. Since Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard in late 2023, the service has been adding nearly one new title per month, a pace that suggests more games from their catalog will soon join the lineup.

Upcoming Xbox Game Pass Games

EA Sports UFC 5 and Diablo wrap up the first wave of January 2025 additions to Xbox Game Pass. The second wave is anticipated to be announced soon, possibly on January 21, following Microsoft's tradition of Tuesday announcements.

Further announcements about upcoming Xbox Game Pass titles might surface before the month ends, especially with the Xbox Developer Direct event scheduled for January 23. Microsoft has confirmed that this event will showcase Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, South of Midnight, and Doom: The Dark Ages, all slated for 2025 launches and confirmed as day-one Xbox Game Pass Ultimate titles. Before the next Xbox Developer Direct, six games, including Insurgency: Sandstorm and Those Who Remain, will be removed from the service on January 15.

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