Microsoft has long had a policy of buying different studios to release their games directly into the GamePass subscription service library. Now Microsoft has really a lot of trump cards in their library. It’s also about to finalize its purchase of ActivisionBlizzard.
On a related note, Xbox head Phil Spencer said on the Microsoft blog that Call of Duty, Diablo, Overwatch, and other games from the developer studios will eventually appear in GamePass subscriptions. However, he said that these titles will also be released on PlayStation the same day.
The head of Microsoft’s gaming division said that these games will be available on Gamepass as soon as the deal is finalized. Many gamers didn’t really like this information, as they are afraid that their favorite series may become Microsoft exclusives and stop coming out on other platforms. However, at the moment there is nothing to worry about.
On the Xbox, the blog assured that the main goal of their company is to provide the game to as many people as possible. That’s why they want to bring these games to the GamePass subscription service, but they are not going to limit PlayStation players and they will appear there the same day it is released in other countries.
“We intend to make Activision Blizzard’s beloved library of games – including Overwatch, Diablo, and Call of Duty – available on Game Pass and grow these gaming communities,” Spencer wrote in a blog post. “By providing even more benefits to players, we hope to continue to grow Game Pass by extending its appeal to cell phones and any connected devices.”
As of now, there’s no specific date when these games will appear in the GamePass library. There are also no details on whether future installments of the game series will be available on GamePass on release day. All we know is that it will take place after the end of the Activision Blizzard purchase deal
The studio’s closest games are Overwatch 2 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 coming out in 2022, and Diablo 4 next year, and from the looks of it, they will be out before the deal is completed, so I wouldn’t expect them to be immediately available on Gamepass.
I recall that Xbox acquired Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion. It was announced back in January and since then the deal has been under investigation and various reviews. Among other things, it has been investigated by several consumer protection commissions, including the UK government’s Competition and Markets Authority.
