xDefiant, Ubisoft's F2P Shooter, Shutters As Studios Close and Downsize

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 slated to shut down on June 3, 2025. This decision follows a period of declining player numbers, despite an initially promising launch.

The Sunset Begins

The shutdown process commences December 3, 2024. New player registration, downloads, and in-game purchases will be halted. Ubisoft will issue refunds for eligible purchases:

• Full refunds for Ultimate Founders Packs.
• Full refunds for VC and DLC purchases made since November 3, 2024. These refunds may take up to 8 weeks to process, with a target completion date of January 28, 2025. Contact Ubisoft for assistance if a refund isn't received by this date.
• Note: Standard and Elite Founder's Packs are not eligible for refunds.

Reasons for Closure

Marie-Sophie Waubert, Ubisoft's Chief Studios and Portfolio Officer, cited the game's inability to maintain a sustainable player base in the highly competitive free-to-play FPS market. Despite initial success and a dedicated fanbase, XDefiant failed to meet long-term player retention goals, making further investment unsustainable.

Impact on the Development Team

The closure will result in significant restructuring. Approximately half of XDefiant's global team will transition to other roles within Ubisoft. However, the San Francisco and Osaka studios will close, and the Sydney studio will downsize, leading to job losses for 143 employees in San Francisco and 134 in Osaka and Sydney combined. This follows previous layoffs in August 2024 affecting 45 employees across American studios and 33 in Toronto. Ubisoft is providing severance packages and career assistance to affected employees.

A Positive Reflection

Despite the game's closure, XDefiant's Executive Producer, Mark Rubin, highlighted the positive aspects of the game's development and community interaction, emphasizing the respectful and open communication fostered between developers and players. He expressed gratitude for the community's support.

Season 3 Release and Previous Reports

Season 3 will still launch as planned, although details remain scarce. Speculation points towards content from the Assassin's Creed franchise. However, access will be limited to players who acquired the game before December 3, 2024. An earlier report from Insider Gaming in August 2024 predicted XDefiant's struggles due to low player counts, a claim initially denied by Rubin but ultimately proven accurate. The release of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 between Seasons 2 and 3 likely contributed to the decline in XDefiant's player base.

The closure of XDefiant serves as a reminder of the challenges in the highly competitive free-to-play market and the difficult decisions game developers sometimes face.