No Call Of Duty On Game Pass This Year, But Diablo IV May Arrive In 2024

Activision Blizzard Inc (NASDAQ: ATVI) outlined its plans for Xbox Game Pass in the wake of the impending Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ: MSFT) acquisition, indicating it intends to start offering its games on the service in 2024.

The acquisition is set to conclude shortly, but the company has made it clear that highly anticipated titles such as Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III and Diablo IV will not be available on Game Pass this year.

See Also: Microsoft Announces Games Leaving Xbox Game Pass In October 2023

In an official statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, Activision Blizzard addressed the questions surrounding the availability of its upcoming and recently launched games on 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," the company said.

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…

— Activision Blizzard (@ATVI_AB) October 9, 2023

The availability of specific titles on Game Pass has been a matter of interest during Microsoft's efforts to secure regulatory approval for the acquisition.

It was mentioned during the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) trial in June, where Xbox Vice President Sarah Bond highlighted an existing agreement that prevents Call of Duty from appearing on Game Pass until at least January 2025.

This does not necessarily prevent games such as Diablo IV from potentially arriving on the service next year, alongside hundreds of other games published by Activision Blizzard.

Microsoft's previous acquisition of Bethesda saw a plethora of titles from that publisher, including those from popular franchises like Doom, Elder Scrolls and Fallout, added to Game Pass.

As the $69 billion acquisition deal nears its completion, more details are expected to emerge, with reports suggesting it is on track to be finalized just days before the agreed-upon deadline of Oct. 18, following a protracted legal battle between Microsoft and Activision.

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