3 new Xbox Game Pass games to play this weekend (January 17-19)

By Tomas Franzese Published January 17, 2025

While Xbox Game Pass is off to a slow start in 2025, some new games have come to the subscription service this week. Namely, a classic Blizzard game that revolutionized the loot-driven RPG space, Diablo, got added to PC Game Pass a few months after the early Starcraft games did. Meanwhile, console Game Pass Ultimate subscribers got access to the latest EA Sports UFC games. Those two games, plus an enjoyable early access game that recently became available to Game Pass Standard subscribers, are worth your while this weekend.

The original Diablo was a very important one for Blizzard Entertainment. It was the studio’s first big success after Warcraft, proving Blizzard wasn’t a one-trick pony and kick-started another franchise that’s still ongoing today. On top of that, it also played a large role in popularizing loot-driven RPGs with procedurally generated content and online multiplayer gaming as a whole. Although it’s dated by modern standards, Diablo is an important piece of video game history worth revisiting today. Hopefully, Diablo II: Resurrected and Diablo III will make their way to the Game Pass soon so the whole franchise can be played on Microsoft’s gaming subscription service.

Diablo is now available on PC through PC Game Pass or Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.

While Diablo is the kind of hardcore PC RPG that requires hours of commitment, EA Sports UFC 5 offers some pick-up-and-play sports gaming fun. It’s an officially licensed mixed martial arts game and is notable for getting a mature rating because the switch to the Frostbite engine meant EA Vancouver could more realistically render blood and other injuries during fights. If you enjoy watching real-life UFC matches and playing fighting games like Tekken 8, you’ll probably be interested to see how EA Sports UFC 5 merges the actual sport with 3D fighting game mechanics.

EA Sports UFC 5 is now available through Xbox Cloud Gaming or on Xbox Series X/S with a Game Pass Ultimate subscription. It’s also on PS5.

I want to spotlight one of the farming sims that joined the Game Pass Standard catalog earlier in the month. That game is Lightyear Frontier, which launched into Game Pass when it entered Xbox Game Preview last March. Lightyear Frontier features mechanics you’d expect from a cooperative farming sim, but the big twist is that players can do all that while controlling giant mechs. Lightyear Frontier has a pulpy sci-fi feel that allows it to stand out in such a crowded space and keeps improving with each new update. Now, Game Pass Standard subscribers can also follow Lightyear Frontier’s journey as it approaches a 1.0 release.

Lightyear Frontier is now playable on Xbox Series X/S for Game Pass standard subscribers. It’s also in early access on PC.