Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is coming to Xbox Cloud Gaming, despite Ubisoft owning the rights — but where's Diablo 4?
By Samuel Tolbert,
8 hours ago
What you need to know
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 will be available day one via Xbox Cloud Gaming when it launches on Oct. 25, 2024.
Microsoft was forced to sell off the Cloud streaming rights to Activision Blizzard King games to Ubisoft, meaning the company has to pay Ubisoft in order to add these games to Xbox Cloud Gaming.
Xbox Cloud Gaming is included as part of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, which also includes day one access to new Xbox first-party games.
Diablo 4 was the first Activision Blizzard King title added to Xbox Game Pass, but the hack-and-slash RPG is not available on Xbox Cloud Gaming right now.
One of the biggest games of the year will be available to stream through the Cloud.
Treyarch, Raven Software, and Activision Publishing's Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 will be available through Xbox Cloud Gaming at launch on October 25, Microsoft shared on Monday on Monday via Xbox Wire . The latest entry in the yearly first-person shooter franchise will be joined by Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and Call of Duty: Warzone, which will also be available through Xbox Cloud Gaming on the same day.
Xbox Cloud Gaming is available through Xbox Game Pass Ultimate , Microsoft's gaming subscription service that also grants access to the standard editions of first-party games on day one. Xbox Game Studios and Bethesda Softworks titles are available through Xbox Cloud Gaming, but Activision Blizzard King games aren't guaranteed.
Treyarch and Raven Software's Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 doesn't have Theater mode on the older consoles, but every platform is getting 16 new multiplayer maps, the return of round-based zombies, and an action-packed campaign. Preorder now to secure Open Beta access, the Woods operator bundle, and the exclusive Reflect 115 camo pack.
Analysis: Microsoft paid to get Call of Duty on Cloud, but where is Diablo 4?
Diablo 4 arrived in Xbox Game Pass earlier this year, but not in Xbox Cloud Gaming. (Image credit: Blizzard Entertainment)
Blizzard Entertainment's hack-and-slash RPG Diablo 4 was the first Activision Blizzard King title to arrive in Xbox Game Pass earlier in the year, but it's not available through Xbox Cloud Gaming. Not many games from Activision's back catalogue have joined the service yet, but the Crash Bandicoot trilogy also supported Xbox Cloud Gaming when it arrived, so it's curious to see Diablo as the now-seemingly sole exception.
This is especially odd when looking at the genres of games in question. Call of Duty being more accessible to a wider audience through Cloud gaming is great, but fast-paced first-person shooters don't play well with a lot of added latency. By contrast, something like Diablo 4 with a fixed camera perspective is more forgiving when streamed, as seen through NVIDIA GeForce NOW .
Of course, it's entirely possible that there are plans already underway and Diablo 4 is headed to Xbox Cloud Gaming before long. Microsoft is making moves for its Cloud gaming plans, and players will soon be able to buy and play games directly through the Xbox App on Android , a process that will expand and include the games players already own.
All of this is made even more interesting by the fact that Ubisoft, holder of the streaming rights, may be purchased by Tencent and the Guillemot family in the near future. What happens to the rights in that situation? We'll have to wait and see how it all pans out.
Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency:
Our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. As a platform hosting over 100,000 pieces of content published daily, we cannot pre-vet content, but we strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation.
Local News
Comments / 0