Summary
Mark Rubin, executive producer of Ubisoft’s first-person shooterXDefiant, has confirmed that the game will be shut down next year.XDefiantwas released in May 2024, and positioned itself as a trueCall of Dutycompetitor, although it hasn’t quite worked out for the live-service title.
UponXDefiant’s launch earlier this year, the game came in for plenty of praise from FPS fans. It wasn’t perfect by any means, but it represented a fun new player in the casual shooter market. The free-to-play game was met with 1 million unique players within two hours of release, becoming the fastest Ubisoft game to hit the milestone. However, even as the updates for the game continued, player numbers dwindled in the subsequent months. By October, rumors were already swirling about thepossibility ofXDefiantshutting down, although nothing at that point was substantiated.
Now, in a statement on X,XDefiant’s executive producer, Mark Rubin, has confirmed the sad news that the game will be shut down. The servers will remain active until July 04, 2025, although new downloads andplayer registrations forXDefiantare no longer available, effective immediately. Despite the shutdown, all ofXDefiant’s content for Season 3 will still be released, although dates for this are yet to be revealed. Any gamer who purchased the Ultimate Founder’s Pack will receive a full refund, as will any player who made a purchase within the last 30 days. According to Rubin, “Those refunds should happen automatically within 8 weeks of today.”
XDefiant is Shutting Down on May 09, 2025
XDefiantrepresents another high-profile live-service game struggling to find its feet in an incredibly competitive market.Concordsprings to mind, which was shut down a few weeks after its launch earlier this year. According to Rubin, while “many free-to-play games take a long time to find their footing and become profitable,” this was a “journey that Ubisoft and the teams working on the game were prepared to make until very recently.” However, “the journey became too much to sensibly continue,” leading to the shutdown decision.
The journey to this point has been long for Ubisoft San Francisco.XDefiantwas first announced back in 2021, yet has been confirmed for shutdown just seven months after its launch. It’s a sad reminder of how difficult the live-service market is to truly break into, especially in a gaming sphere dominated by games likeCall of DutyandFortnite.
XDefiant
XDefiant is a free-to-play, first-person online arena shooter where you compete in fast-paced clashes. With cross-play available at launch, you will be able to play with friends on a variety of platforms.Season 1 introduces the Team Rainbow operators of GS-Kommando leveraging their counter-terrorism training to disrupt their enemies. They can deploy electrified barbed wire for area denial, counter incoming enemy devices with their Active Defense System, and dazzle multiple foes with flash charges mounted on their G52-Tactical Shield.While GS-Kommando operators pride themselves on using non-lethal force whenever possible, they are as capable on the battlefield as any spec ops group.Customized Loadouts: Choose from a large arsenal of weapons, attachments, and devices to optimize the way you play. Combine any weapon with any faction, and unlock new options as you play to perfect your playstyle.Factions: Factions are drawn from iconic Ubisoft worlds and represent distinct classes, each with unique abilities and ultras. Choose any character from any faction to assemble your team of six players. Change your faction at any point during play to adapt to your strategy.Maps, Modes, and Mayhem: Play in a diverse range of 14 maps at launch across several different arena and linear modes including Zone Control, Escort, Occupy, and more. Fight in casual matches or climb the tiers in competitive ranked mode.
