"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 now dive into EA Sports UFC 5 and Diablo as part of their subscription. These additions mark the third and fourth titles introduced to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate this January 2025.

The iconic Diablo, launched in late 1996, revolutionized the hack-and-slash RPG genre. On the other hand, EA Sports UFC 5, which hit the shelves in October 2023, continues to be the latest installment in EA Sports' renowned series of mixed martial arts games.

Despite being released nearly 27 years apart, these games are now united under Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, becoming available on January 14. While Microsoft typically aims to provide multi-platform games, these two additions are exceptions; Diablo is exclusively accessible on PC, and EA Sports UFC 5 requires an Xbox Series X/S for local play. However, subscribers with robust internet can stream UFC 5 via Xbox Cloud Gaming.

Xbox Game Pass Now Offers Over a Dozen Activision Blizzard Titles

With Diablo now available on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, the service boasts a total of 13 Activision Blizzard titles. This includes the Spyro Reignited Trilogy and Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, counted as three games each. Since Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard in late 2023, the service has been adding nearly one new title from their catalog every month. More games are expected to join the lineup, accelerating the pace of additions.

Upcoming Xbox Game Pass Games

EA Sports UFC 5 and Diablo wrap up the first wave of January 2025 additions to Xbox Game Pass. The second wave of this month's lineup is anticipated to be revealed soon, possibly on January 21, following Microsoft's tradition of announcing new XGP releases on Tuesdays.

Further announcements about upcoming Xbox Game Pass titles may come before the month ends, especially with the Xbox Developer Direct scheduled for January 23. This event will showcase Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, South of Midnight, and Doom: The Dark Ages, all confirmed as day-one Xbox Game Pass Ultimate titles targeting 2025 releases. Before the next Xbox Developer Direct, six games, including Insurgency: Sandstorm and Those Who Remain, will be removed from the service on January 15.

$42 at Amazon$17 at Xbox