Ubisoft's 'xDefiant' Shutters Due to Studio Closures

Ubisoft's XDefiant: A Free-to-Play Shooter's Unexpected Demise

Ubisoft has announced the closure of its free-to-play shooter, XDefiant, with servers scheduled to shut down on June 3, 2025. This decision follows a period of declining player numbers, despite an initially promising launch.

The Sunset Process Begins

The shutdown process commences December 3, 2024. New players will be unable to download, register, or purchase the game or its DLCs. Ubisoft is committed to providing refunds for eligible purchases:

• Full refunds for Ultimate Founders Pack purchases.
• Full refunds for VC and DLC purchases made since November 3, 2024. Refunds should be processed within eight weeks, with a target completion date of January 28, 2025. Contact Ubisoft support if a refund is not received by this date. Note that only the Ultimate Founders Pack is eligible for a refund; Founder's Pack and Founder's Pack Elite are not.

Reasons Behind the Closure

According to Marie-Sophie Waubert, Ubisoft's Chief Studios and Portfolio Officer, XDefiant failed to achieve the player base and retention necessary to thrive in the competitive free-to-play market. The game fell short of expectations, making further investment unsustainable.

Impact on the Development Team

Approximately half of XDefiant's team will transition to other roles within Ubisoft. However, the San Francisco and Osaka studios will close, and the Sydney studio will downsize, resulting in significant job losses (143 in San Francisco and 134 anticipated in Osaka and Sydney). This follows previous layoffs in August 2024 across various Ubisoft American studios. Ubisoft is providing severance packages and career assistance to affected employees.

A Positive Reflection Despite Closure

Despite the game's shutdown, XDefiant achieved a remarkable 5 million users shortly after its May 21, 2024 release, breaking an internal Ubisoft record. A total of 15 million players engaged with the game. Executive Producer Mark Rubin expressed gratitude for the community and highlighted the positive, respectful interactions between players and developers.

Season 3 Release and Prior Reports

While the game's future is short, Season 3 will launch as planned, although details remain scarce. Speculation points towards content from the Assassin's Creed franchise. An earlier report from Insider Gaming on August 29, 2024, indicated low player numbers as a contributing factor to the game's struggles, a claim initially denied by Rubin but ultimately proven accurate. The release of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 between Seasons 2 and 3 may have also impacted XDefiant's player base.

The closure of XDefiant underscores the challenges faced by free-to-play games in a highly competitive market. While the decision is undoubtedly disappointing, Ubisoft's commitment to supporting its employees and providing refunds demonstrates a degree of responsibility.