xDefiant Closes: Ubisoft's F2P Shooter Affected by Studio Downsizing

Ubisoft has announced the closure of XDefiant, with servers set to shut down in June 2025. This decision marks the end of the game's run as a free-to-play shooter. Dive deeper to understand the implications for players and the reasons behind this move.

XDefiant is Shutting Down its Servers on June 2025

“Sunset” Process Initiating

Ubisoft is officially pulling the plug on XDefiant servers on June 3, 2025, signaling the end of its journey. The "sunset" process will kick off on December 3, 2024, preventing new downloads, registrations, and purchases of the game and its DLCs. Ubisoft has committed to refunding in-game purchases.

"For those who purchased the Ultimate Founders Pack, you will receive a full refund. Additionally, players who have made VC and DLC purchases since November 3rd, 2024, will also be fully refunded. Please note that processing these refunds will take up to 8 weeks."

Players should expect to see their refunds by January 28, 2025. If you haven't received your refund by this date, you can reach out to Ubisoft for assistance. Note that only the Ultimate Founder’s Pack qualifies for refunds, not the Founder’s Pack or Founder’s Pack Elite.

Why is Ubisoft Shutting Down XDefiant?

Marie-Sophie Waubert, Ubisoft’s Chief Studios and Portfolio Officer, explained the decision in a blog post dated December 4. Despite a promising start and a dedicated fan base, XDefiant failed to maintain the necessary player base to thrive in the competitive free-to-play market.

"Despite an encouraging start, the team’s passionate work, and a committed fan base, we’ve not been able to attract and retain enough players in the long run to compete at the level we aim for in the very demanding free-to-play FPS market," she stated. "As a result, the game is too far away from reaching the results required to enable further significant investment, and we are announcing that we will be sunsetting it."

Half of the Team Transitioning to Other Roles

Half of the XDefiant team will depart Ubisoft, with the remaining members transitioning to other roles within the company. This decision also involves the closure or downsizing of the studios that developed the game.

"Almost half of the XDefiant team worldwide will be transitioning to other roles within Ubisoft," said Waubert. "This decision also leads to the closing of our San Francisco and Osaka production studios and to the ramp down of our Sydney production site, with 143 people departing in San Francisco and 134 people likely to depart in Osaka and Sydney."

Ubisoft previously laid off 45 employees across its American studios in San Francisco, California, and North Carolina on August 16, 2024, and 33 employees at Ubisoft Toronto. The company is committed to supporting affected employees through severance packages and career assistance programs.

Leaving the Game on a Positive Note

Despite its initial success, XDefiant fell short of Ubisoft’s expectations, leading to its shutdown. Launched on May 21, 2024, the game quickly amassed 5 million users, reaching 15 million players over its lifetime. However, it did not prove profitable enough for Ubisoft to continue supporting it.

"Free-to-play, in particular, is a long journey. Many free-to-play games take a long time to find their footing and become profitable," said XDefiant’s Executive Producer Mark Rubin. "It’s a long journey that Ubisoft and the teams working on the game were prepared to make until very recently. But unfortunately, the journey became too much to sensibly continue."

Rubin expressed gratitude to the community, highlighting the positive interactions and non-toxic conversations that fostered a unique connection between players and developers.

"To our players, THANK YOU! From the bottom of my heart, I want to express my deepest gratitude for the incredible community that has grown around XDefiant. Your passion, creativity, and dedication have inspired us every step of the way."

Season 3 is Still Releasing Amidst Shutdown Announcement

Though XDefiant’s servers are set to close in 2025, Season 3 will proceed as planned. While details are scarce, speculation suggests content inspired by the Assassin’s Creed series. According to the game’s Year 1 Roadmap from September 2024, Season 3 will introduce a new faction, weapons, maps, and mode. However, access to the final season will be limited to players who purchased the game before December 3, 2024, due to the ongoing "sunset" process.

The original blog post detailing the roadmap was replaced by the shutdown announcement titled "Our Message to Players."

Ubisoft Pulling the Plug on XDefiant Reported Early On

Insider Gaming reported on August 29, 2024, that XDefiant was struggling with a declining player count. Despite Rubin’s initial denial in the Year 1 Roadmap blog post, the recent shutdown announcement confirms these concerns.

"Is the game dying? No, the game is absolutely not dying," Rubin had claimed. "We know there are things we need to improve, like Netcode/Hitreg and adding more content to progression, but the game is doing well."

Sources suggested that XDefiant’s executives were pinning their hopes on Season 3 to revive the game. However, the release of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 between Season 2 and Season 3 likely impacted player interest, leading Ubisoft to decide to end support for XDefiant ahead of Season 3's launch.