Summary
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate welcomes two gaming giants today: EA Sports UFC 5 and Diablo. These titles, released 27 years apart, mark the end of Wave 1's January 2025 additions to the service.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers can dive into EA Sports UFC 5 and Diablo starting today. These are the third and fourth games added to the service this January.
Diablo, a legendary title that defined the hack-and-slash RPG genre, needs no introduction. Released in late 1996, it remains a classic. UFC 5, the latest installment in EA Sports' popular MMA fighting game series, launched in October 2023.
These two games, separated by almost 27 years, now join forces on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, launching later today, January 14th. While Microsoft aims for cross-platform availability, these additions are exceptions: Diablo is PC-only, and EA Sports UFC 5 requires an Xbox Series X/S for local play. However, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers with sufficient internet speeds can stream UFC 5 via Xbox Cloud Gaming.
Xbox Game Pass Now Boasts Over a Dozen Activision Blizzard Titles
With Diablo's arrival, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate now offers 13 Activision Blizzard titles (counting Spyro Reignited Trilogy and Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy as three games each). This averages almost one new Activision Blizzard title per month since Microsoft's acquisition in late 2023. While many more Activision Blizzard games await their debut on Xbox Game Pass, the release rate is clearly accelerating.
Upcoming Xbox Game Pass Games
EA Sports UFC 5 and Diablo conclude January 2025's Wave 1 additions to Xbox Game Pass. Wave 2's lineup is anticipated soon, potentially on January 21st, aligning with Microsoft's usual Tuesday announcements.
Further announcements regarding upcoming Xbox Game Pass titles might arrive before month's end, given the Xbox Developer Direct scheduled for January 23rd. Microsoft confirmed this event will showcase Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, South of Midnight, and Doom: The Dark Ages—all day-one Xbox Game Pass Ultimate titles slated for 2025 release, though dates remain unannounced. Before the Developer Direct, Xbox Game Pass will lose six games on January 15th, including Insurgency: Sandstorm and Those Who Remain.
$42 at Amazon $17 at Xbox
