But we may have to wait a while, as Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard might not wrap until mid-2023. But, as part of a new post outlining Xbox's plans, Phil Spencer confirms that the intention for the deal is to add "Overwatch, Diablo and Call of Duty" to Game Pass across cloud, console, and PC.

According to Phil it's all about choice, and Game Pass is a means to deliver games to a wider audience through the cloud - from mobile devices to Smart TVs. In addition to console hardware like the Xbox Series X|S and PCs.

"While we love consoles, we recognize that they are not the only way that people play games," Phil Spencer writes. "Today, the largest and fastest growing segment of gaming is mobile platforms. To reach the billions of players where they are and no matter what device they play on, we need to embrace choice."

"We are expanding choice in two ways: through the creation of Game Pass, which gives players a subscription option; and by bringing more games to mobile platforms, including through our cloud game streaming technology," Phil Spencer adds. "Subscription services like Game Pass make gaming more affordable and help players from all over the world find their next favorite game. Game Pass empowers developers to bring more games to more players, not fewer."

With the whole argument here being that adding Diablo to Game Pass means more people will have access to the game - not less - thanks to the cloud. It's a forward thinking approach, and Microsoft is definitely pushing Game Pass as the centre of its strategy going forward. The issue, and why the deal is facing scrutiny, comes with the PlayStation question. Will Call of Duty become a Game Pass and by extension Xbox-only experience? According to Phil Spencer, no.

"We’ve heard that this deal might take franchises like Call of Duty away from the places where people currently play them," Phil Spencer states. "That’s why, as we’ve said before, we are committed to making the same version of Call of Duty available on PlayStation on the same day the game launches elsewhere. We will continue to enable people to play with each other across platforms and across devices. We know players benefit from this approach because we’ve done it with Minecraft, which continues to be available on multiple platforms and has expanded to even more since Mojang joined Microsoft in 2014."

For me, it's simple. I'm excited for the deal to be finalised so I can play Diablo 2, Diablo 3, and Diablo 4 (when that drops in 2023) on multiple devices no matter where I am.