Diablo 4 is free on Xbox this weekend, but there’s a catch
Play Blizzard’s critically acclaimed ARPG on Xbox without spending a cent.
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What you need to know
Microsoft and Activision Blizzard haveannouncedthat from now until Oct. 22, 11:59 p.m. PT / Oct. 23, 2:59 a.m. ET., Diablo 4 is free to play for all Xbox users. This means that even if you don’t have a subscription to Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass or Xbox Game Pass Core services, you’ll be able to jump into Blizzard’s latest ARPG and try it out this weekend. This is quite an exciting opportunity, as Diablo 4 is arguably one of 2023’sbest Xbox games…but thereisa catch.
Indeed, whileDiablo 4is playable on Xbox for free for the next few days, your playtime during this weekend is limited to 10 hours. As a result, you’ll need to buy the full game if you want to play more than this. This will no doubt disappoint players that were hoping to enjoy any ofDiablo 4’s Season of Bloodor grind through its 30-35 hour campaign, but at least they’ll have the chance to play through a good chunk of it and get a taste of what awaits them in the full experience.
Notably, this promotion comes just a week afterMicrosoft’s Activision Blizzard deal for Xbox was officially finalized. Microsoft now owns Blizzard franchises like Diablo, World of Warcraft, and Overwatch, along with Activision properties such as Call of Duty. As a result, we wouldn’t be surprised to see Diablo 4 come toXbox Game Passin the future, thoughActivision Blizzard says there aren’t plans for that to happen in 2023.
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The announcement came alongside the reveal of three other games that Xbox Game Pass and Game Pass Core subscribers can enjoy for free until the end of the weekend. These include 2K’s new basketball simulation titleNBA 2K24, Lawn Mowing Simulator (I wonder if you can guess what it’s about), and the Animal Crossing-style community life simHokko Life.
These gamesdo nothave a playtime limit like Diablo 4 does, so you can play them as much as you want until Oct. 22 rolls around. However, as their availability this weekend is tied to Microsoft’s Xbox Free Play Days event, you’ll need to be subscribed to Game Pass or Game Pass Core to access them.
Diablo 4 is out now and is available on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One consoles, Windows PC, PS5, and PS4. It’s one of thebest Xbox gamesfor fans of dungeon crawlers and hack-and-slash combat, and we’ve been having an absolute blast with it since launch. Also, heads up:you can get Diablo 4 battle passes for free with Microsoft Rewards. Keep that in mind if you’re picking up the game!
Diablo 4: Ultimate Edition
The Ultimate Sacrifice from your wallet to our Blessed Mother, the Ultimate Edition of Diablo 4 comes with a bunch of cosmetics, the Premium Battle Pass and 20 tier skips for you to enjoy.
Buy on:Xbox|PC (Battle.net)
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Brendan Lowry is a Windows Central writer and Oakland University graduate with a burning passion for video games, of which he’s been an avid fan since childhood. He’s been writing for Team WC since the summer of 2017, and you’ll find him doing news, editorials, reviews, and general coverage on everything gaming, Xbox, and Windows PC. His favorite game of all time is probably NieR: Automata, though Elden Ring, Fallout: New Vegas, and Team Fortress 2 are in the running, too. When he’s not writing or gaming, there’s a good chance he’s either watching an interesting new movie or TV show or actually going outside for once.Follow him on X(Twitter).
