In the lead-up to Microsoft’s imminent acquisition of Activision Blizzard, the gaming giant has provided a glimpse into its future plans for Xbox Game Pass.
While the deal’s official closure is anticipated this week, the company clarified that titles like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III and Diablo IV won’t be gracing Game Pass this year.
In a statement shared on X/Twitter, Activision Blizzard addressed the inquiries surrounding the availability of their upcoming and recently launched games on Game Pass.
The statement reads, “As we continue to work toward regulatory approval of the Microsoft deal, we’ve been getting some questions whether our upcoming and recently launched games will be available via Game Pass. While we do not have plans to put Modern Warfare III or Diablo IV into Game Pass this year, once the deal closes, we expect to start working with Xbox to bring our titles to more players around the world. And we anticipate that we would begin adding games into Game Pass sometime in the course of next year.”
It’s awesome to see anticipation building for Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® III. As we continue to work toward regulatory approval of the Microsoft deal, we’ve been getting some questions whether our upcoming and recently launched games will be available via Game Pass.
While we…
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— Activision Blizzard (@ATVI_AB) October 9, 2023
The potential inclusion of Activision Blizzard titles into Game Pass has been a subject of significant interest as the Microsoft acquisition progresses. During Microsoft’s FTC trial in June, Xbox vice president Sarah Bond highlighted an existing agreement that prevents titles like Call of Duty from appearing on Game Pass before January 2025.
However, this does not rule out the possibility of games like Diablo IV joining the service in the coming year, alongside a multitude of other titles published by Activision Blizzard.
Microsoft’s earlier acquisition of Bethesda notably brought a plethora of games from their portfolio, including those from renowned franchises like Doom, Elder Scrolls, and Fallout, to Game Pass.
This announcement is just the latest development in the ongoing narrative surrounding the $69 billion buyout. According to reports from The Verge, the deal is set to conclude just days before the agreed-upon deadline of October 18th, following extensive legal battles and negotiations between Microsoft and Activision.
