xDefiant: Ubisoft's F2P Shooter Closes Amid Studio Downsizing

Ubisoft has announced the closure of XDefiant, with servers set to shut down in June 2025. This news comes as a surprise to many, and here's what you need to know about the game's fate and its impact on players.

XDefiant's Servers to Shut Down in June 2025

"Sunset" Process Initiating

Ubisoft will officially close XDefiant's servers on June 3, 2025, marking the end of the free-to-play shooter's journey. The "sunset" process begins on December 3, 2024, preventing new players from downloading, registering, or purchasing the game and its DLCs. Ubisoft has also 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."

Refunds are expected to be processed by January 28, 2025. If you haven't received your refund by this date, you can reach out to Ubisoft for further assistance. Note that only the Ultimate Founder’s Pack qualifies for a refund; the Founder’s Pack and Founder’s Pack Elite do not.

Why is Ubisoft Shutting Down XDefiant?

Marie-Sophie Waubert, Ubisoft's Chief Studios and Portfolio Officer, explained the shutdown in a blog post on December 4, citing the game's inability to sustain itself 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

Approximately half of XDefiant’s team will transition to other roles within Ubisoft, while the rest will leave the company. The decision also affects the studios involved in the game's development, leading to closures and downsizing.

"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 has previously laid off 45 employees across its American studios in San Francisco, California, and North Carolina on August 16, 2024, and 33 employees from Ubisoft Toronto. The company is providing severance packages and career assistance to those affected.

Leaving the Game on a Positive Note

Despite its early success, XDefiant did not meet Ubisoft's expectations for profitability. Launched on May 21, 2024, it quickly amassed 5 million users and eventually reached 15 million players. However, the game's performance did not justify continued investment.

"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 towards the community, highlighting the unique, non-toxic interactions 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 June 2025, Season 3 will proceed as planned. While details are sparse, rumors suggest content from the Assassin’s Creed series might be included. According to the game's Year 1 Roadmap from September 2024, Season 3 will feature a new faction, weapons, maps, and a new mode. However, access to this final season will be limited to players who purchased the game before December 3, 2024.

This roadmap was later removed and replaced with 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 due to low player counts, a claim that Rubin initially denied in the game's Year 1 Roadmap blog post.

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

However, sources indicated that XDefiant executives were heavily banking on Season 3 to revive interest. The release of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 between XDefiant's Season 2 and Season 3 may have further impacted player engagement, leading Ubisoft to ultimately decide to shut down the game ahead of Season 3's launch.