Diablo IV on PC Game Pass will need Battle.net, here's how to connect and play

The first game from Activision Blizzard lineup following Microsoft's acquisition is finally coming to Xbox Game Pass this week. As announced last month, Blizzard's Diablo IV will lead the charge for this major move. With a couple of days left before the hit ARPG arrives to the subscription service, Microsoft has now detailed just how the game will be made available to Game Pass members.

While Xbox One and Series X|S players will simply be able to play the game right away when it lands on Xbox Game Pass, PC Game Pass players have some hoops to jump through beforehand. This includes having the Battle.net client installed in addition to the Xbox App for PC, having or creating a Blizzard Battle.net account, and connecting the two accounts.

Here's a handy step-by-step instruction:

Open the Xbox App on PC and make sure you are signed in with your Microsoft account tied to your Game Pass membership. Then click on Diablo IV and then the Install button.

Click “Install Battle.net” when prompted and complete the installation. (If you already have Battle.net installed, you’ll skip to the next step automatically)

You’ll be prompted to connect your Battle.net account to your Microsoft account. If you already have a Battle.net account you can log in to complete the connection, or from here you can create a Battle.net account to make the connection.

Once you have downloaded Battle.net and connected your accounts, you can complete the installation of Diablo IV!

It looks like PC players will be downloading the game via Battle.net instead of the Xbox app. This is the same system used for EA Play and Ubisoft Connect titles, and it might be how future Activision Blizzard games will be offered to PC Game Pass members as well.

As expected, Blizzard also recommends that new players refrain from using the "Skip Campaign" option during character creation. This option is only meant for experienced players jumping into the new seasonal updates. New players are recommended to go through the standard campaign and experience that story first before the time-limited events.

Diablo IV hits Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass on March 28. Check here for all the games coming to Game Pass in the next couple of weeks.