Is XDefiant Shutting Down?

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As a seasoned gamer with over two decades of gaming under my belt, I must admit that the news about XDefiant shutting down leaves me a bit disheartened. I remember eagerly participating in its beta phase and being genuinely impressed by its potential as a worthy rival to Call of Duty.

Ubisoft has invested considerable time in developing XDefiant, but it appears that the game may be closing down, as per recent reports. Given that XDefiant was positioned to be a major competitor to Call of Duty, let’s delve into what we currently know about its future and whether playing now could potentially lead to significant changes.

In the world of online first-person shooter games, a few familiar names tend to dominate. However, when focusing specifically on military shooters, the options become more limited. Battlefield 2042, upon its launch, received much criticism, while many current titles either belong to the hero shooter or third-person categories. XDefiant was designed as a fresh alternative for shooter enthusiasts who have grown tired of the yearly Call of Duty releases.

In simple terms, the beta version of XDefiant showed strong performance, Ubisoft kept their promise by addressing player feedback, and the global release was as heated as a gathering with The Cleaners faction. Now we’ll check if things have taken a turn for the worse since then and consider potential implications.

Is XDefiant Shutting Down?

Starting from June 2025, XDefiant will no longer be operational. From now on, the game’s content updates will significantly decrease.

On December 3rd, TopMob announced that XDefiant will be permanently closed down. Key points were shared, indicating a small team would continue managing the game until June 2025. After the launch of Season 3, it was clarified that this marks the end of regular content updates for XDefiant. Instead, sporadic updates based on pre-existing resources and assets are expected following Season 3’s release. Contrary to recent rumors suggesting XDefiant wouldn’t be shutting down after Season 4.

Unfortunately, Yves Guillemot, Ubisoft’s CEO, announced in a company-wide memo that they will be reducing their workforce. He acknowledged the excellent work done by the XDefiant teams, but also mentioned that this involves the closure of studios in San Francisco and Osaka, as well as winding down production at the Sydney site.

It’s understood Ubisoft is refunding players for any cosmetic purchases and Founder’s Packs.

Why is XDefiant Shutting Down?

Based on information from reliable sources, it appears that the low number of players and insufficient player spending are the primary causes for the closure of XDefiant in the year 2025.

In simpler terms, XDefiant is a game that’s free for everyone to play, but it makes money through player purchases they choose to make. This includes Battle Passes, character skins, and a special currency within the game. Unfortunately, players haven’t been spending enough on optional cosmetics, causing XDefiant’s earnings to be lower than expected.

Initially, it’s surprising now to reflect on it, but XDefiant made a stunning entrance with a million unique players in just three hours. The number of players continued to grow, reaching eight million by the end of its first week entirely. However, unfortunately, this wasn’t sustainable, as the player count started declining shortly after, and over the following months, XDefiant experienced a gradual downfall.

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2024-12-04 19:18