Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Expands with Two 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 thrilling worlds of EA Sports UFC 5 and Diablo starting today, January 14, 2025. These additions mark the third and fourth titles added to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate this month.

Diablo, the legendary hack-and-slash RPG that launched in late 1996, needs no introduction. It's a cornerstone of the genre. Meanwhile, EA Sports UFC 5, the latest installment in the popular mixed martial arts series, hit the shelves in October 2023. Despite being released nearly 27 years apart, both games are now accessible through Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.

While Microsoft typically strives to include multi-platform games, these two new additions are platform-specific. Diablo is exclusively available on PC, whereas EA Sports UFC 5 is playable on Xbox Series X/S. However, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers with robust internet connections can stream EA Sports UFC 5 through Xbox Cloud Gaming.

Xbox Game Pass Now Offers Over a Dozen Activision Blizzard Titles

With Diablo now 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, each counted as three games. Since Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard in late 2023, the service has added nearly one new title per month. Although more games from the Activision Blizzard catalog are expected, the pace of additions is accelerating.

Upcoming Xbox Game Pass Games

Game	Date Added	Game Pass Tier(s)	Platform(s)	Notes
EA Sports UFC 5	Jan 14	Ultimate	Cloud, Series X/S
Diablo	Jan 14	Ultimate, PC	PC
Eternal Strands	Jan 28	Ultimate, PC	Cloud, PC, Series X/S	Day-one release.
Sniper Elite: Resistance	Jan 30	Ultimate, PC	Cloud, Console, PC	Day-one release.
Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector	Jan 31	Ultimate, PC	Cloud, PC, Series X/S	Day-one release.
Avowed	Feb 18	Ultimate, PC	Cloud, PC, Series X/S	Day-one release.
Atomfall	Mar 27	Ultimate, PC	Cloud, Console, PC	Day-one release.
Football Manager 25	Mar ??	Ultimate, PC	Cloud, Console, PC	Day-one release; exact date TBA.
Commandos: Origins	Mar ??	Ultimate, PC	Cloud, Console, PC	Day-one release; exact date TBA.

EA Sports UFC 5 and Diablo wrap up the first wave of January 2025 additions to Xbox Game Pass. The second wave is expected to be announced soon, possibly on January 21, following Microsoft's tradition of revealing new releases on Tuesdays.

More news about upcoming Xbox Game Pass titles could surface before the month's end, especially with the Xbox Developer Direct event scheduled for January 23. Microsoft has confirmed that the event will feature Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, South of Midnight, and Doom: The Dark Ages. All three are slated for day-one release on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate in 2025, though specific dates are still pending. Before the Developer Direct, Xbox Game Pass will see the removal of six titles on January 15, including Insurgency: Sandstorm and Those Who Remain.

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