Ubisoft Announces Shutdown of XDefiant, its Free-to-Play Shooter

Ubisoft has revealed plans to discontinue its free-to-play shooter, XDefiant, shutting down its servers 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 player registrations, downloads, and in-game purchases will be halted. Ubisoft is committed to providing refunds for eligible purchases: full refunds for the Ultimate Founders Pack and all VC and DLC purchases made since November 3, 2024 (processed within eight weeks, with a target completion date of January 28, 2025. Players should contact Ubisoft support if refunds are not received by this date). Note that only the Ultimate Founders Pack is eligible for a refund; the standard and Elite Founder's Packs are not.

Reasons Behind the Closure

Marie-Sophie Waubert, Ubisoft's Chief Studios and Portfolio Officer, explained that XDefiant failed to achieve the player base and retention necessary for sustainability in the fiercely competitive free-to-play FPS market. The game fell short of projections required to justify further investment.

Impact on Ubisoft Studios and Personnel

Approximately half of XDefiant's development team will transition to other roles within Ubisoft. However, the San Francisco and Osaka studios will close, and the Sydney studio will significantly downsize, resulting in job losses for 143 employees in San Francisco and approximately 134 in Osaka and Sydney. This follows previous layoffs in August 2024. Ubisoft has committed to providing severance packages and career assistance to affected employees.

A Bittersweet Farewell

Despite a strong initial launch with 5 million users and 15 million players overall, XDefiant ultimately proved unsustainable. While Season 3 is still planned for release, the game's future is cut short. Executive Producer Mark Rubin expressed gratitude to the community and highlighted the positive, respectful interaction between players and developers.

Season 3 Release and Prior Speculation

Despite the shutdown, Season 3 will launch as scheduled. While 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 blog post detailing Season 3's content has since been removed.

Early Reports and Shifting Expectations

Insider Gaming reported on August 29, 2024, that XDefiant's player count was low, a claim initially denied by Rubin. The release of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 between Seasons 2 and 3 may have further impacted XDefiant's performance, ultimately leading to Ubisoft's decision to cease development.