"Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Expands with Games 27 Years Apart"

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 EA Sports UFC 5 and Diablo starting today as part of their subscription. These are the third and fourth titles added to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate in January 2025.

The legendary Diablo, released at the end of 1996, revolutionized the hack-and-slash RPG genre. On the other hand, EA Sports UFC 5, launched in October 2023, remains the latest installment in EA Sports' acclaimed mixed martial arts fighting game series.

Despite being released nearly 27 years apart, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate has brought these two iconic games together, with both set to be available on the service starting January 14. While Microsoft typically aims to provide multi-platform games, 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 through Xbox Cloud Gaming.

Xbox Game Pass Now Offers Over a Dozen Activision Blizzard Titles

With the addition of Diablo, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate now boasts 13 Activision Blizzard titles, including the Spyro Reignited Trilogy and Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, each counted as three games. This marks nearly one new Activision Blizzard game added per month since Microsoft acquired the company in late 2023. Although many more Activision Blizzard games are yet to be added, their inclusion rate is accelerating.

Upcoming Xbox Game Pass Games

EA Sports UFC 5 and Diablo mark the end of the first wave of January 2025 additions to Xbox Game Pass. The second wave of this month's lineup is anticipated to be announced soon, possibly on January 21, given Microsoft's tradition of revealing new XGP releases on Tuesdays.

Further announcements about upcoming Xbox Game Pass titles might come before the month ends, with an Xbox Developer Direct scheduled for January 23. Microsoft has confirmed that the event will feature Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, South of Midnight, and Doom: The Dark Ages. All three are slated for day-one Xbox Game Pass Ultimate releases and are targeting 2025 launches. Before the next Xbox Developer Direct, Xbox Game Pass will see the departure of six games on January 15, including Insurgency: Sandstorm and Those Who Remain.

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