"Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Expands with 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 excitement of EA Sports UFC 5 and the legendary Diablo starting today, as part of their subscription. These are the third and fourth titles to join Xbox Game Pass Ultimate in January 2025.

Diablo, the iconic game that set the standard for hack-and-slash RPGs, was originally released at the end of 1996. On the other hand, EA Sports UFC 5, the latest installment in EA's popular mixed martial arts series, made its debut in October 2023.

Despite being released nearly 27 years apart, these games are now accessible through Xbox Game Pass Ultimate as of today, January 14. While Microsoft usually aims to include multi-platform games, these additions are platform-specific: Diablo is exclusive to PC, whereas EA Sports UFC 5 can be played locally on Xbox Series X/S. For those with robust internet connections, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers can also 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 a total of 13 Activision Blizzard titles. This includes the 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 from the company each month. Although many more games from the Activision Blizzard library are yet to be added, the pace of releases is clearly 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 is expected to be announced soon, possibly on January 21, in line with Microsoft's tradition of revealing new XGP releases on Tuesdays.

More news about upcoming Xbox Game Pass titles might surface before the month ends, especially with the Xbox Developer Direct scheduled for January 23. Microsoft has confirmed that Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, South of Midnight, and Doom: The Dark Ages will be featured at the event. All three games are slated for day-one releases on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate in 2025. However, 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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