Microsoft has expanded Xbox Game Pass once again, this time tapping into its newly acquired Blizzard back catalog by adding the original Diablo. The classic action RPG—first released in 1996 and widely credited with defining the modern loot-driven dungeon crawler—now has a new on-ramp for subscribers curious about where the genre’s obsession with randomized gear truly began.
### A Classic Blizzard RPG, Now in the Subscription Mix
The first Diablo is a landmark PC-era release from Blizzard Entertainment, built around fast runs through the cathedral and catacombs beneath Tristram, tense permadeath-adjacent stakes (for the time), and a simple but endlessly repeatable hunt for better items. While Diablo II and Diablo III have had longer lives across more platforms, the original remains a crucial piece of gaming history—one that’s been harder to access cleanly without resorting to older discs, legacy installs, or niche storefront versions.
### What This Means for Game Pass Subscribers
For Game Pass members, Diablo’s arrival is less about chasing the latest seasonal meta and more about revisiting a foundation stone. It’s a chance to experience the roots of Blizzard’s action RPG design, and to see the DNA that later shows up not only in Diablo II and Diablo IV, but across the wider ARPG and looter landscape.
### Microsoft’s Blizzard Strategy Comes Into Focus
This addition also fits Microsoft’s broader post–Activision Blizzard acquisition approach: steadily weaving older, recognizable franchises into Game Pass to increase value and keep the library feeling curated rather than purely headline-driven. Even when these titles aren’t brand-new releases, they help fill gaps in genre variety and appeal to long-time PC players who grew up with Blizzard’s 1990s catalog.
### Why It Matters
The real story here isn’t just one classic game landing in a subscription service—it’s the signal that Microsoft is willing to treat Blizzard’s history as a living library. If Diablo is an early step, it raises expectations for more legacy Blizzard titles to follow, giving Game Pass a stronger archival edge alongside its day-one releases.
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