Is it the best Blizzard game in years? Yes, for us, it is. Diablo IV is one of the great role-playing titles of recent years, and just this week, the game’s second season has been released. And if you haven’t played it yet, you’re in luck: it’s free this weekend.
Microsoft and Activision/Blizzard have announced that from today, Friday, until October 23rd at 8:59 AM (2:59 AM ET), Diablo 4 will be free for all Xbox users.
This means that even if you are not subscribed to Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass or Xbox Game Pass Core services, you can try out Blizzard’s latest role-playing game this weekend.
This is a very interesting opportunity, as Diablo 4 is possibly one of the best Xbox games of 2023… but there’s a catch to the free trial, we warn you.
Diablo IV is free, but there’s a catch: let us explain
Indeed, while Diablo 4 can be played for free on Xbox over the next few days, your gameplay time during this weekend is limited to 10 hours. If you want to play for more time, you’ll have to purchase the full game.
This will undoubtedly disappoint players who were looking forward to enjoying Diablo 4’s Blood Season or its 30-35 hour campaign. However, they will at least have the opportunity to play a significant portion of the game and get an idea of what awaits them in the complete experience.
It’s worth noting that this promotion comes just a week after Microsoft’s official deal closure with Activision Blizzard for Xbox.
Microsoft now owns Blizzard franchises like Diablo, World of Warcraft, and Overwatch, along with Activision properties like Call of Duty. As a result, it wouldn’t surprise us to see Diablo 4 arrive on Xbox Game Pass in the future, although Activision Blizzard states that there are no plans for that to happen in 2023.
More free games to try out this weekend
The announcement came with the revelation 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 the new basketball simulation title from 2K, NBA 2K24, Lawn Mowing Simulator (I wonder if you can guess what it’s about), and the community life simulator in the style of Animal Crossing, Hokko Life.
Unlike Diablo 4, these games do not have a time limit, so you can play them as much as you want until October 22nd. 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.
