Ubisoft has announced the closure of its free-to-play shooter, XDefiant, with servers scheduled to shut down in June 2025. This article details the shutdown and its impact on players.
XDefiant Server Shutdown: June 2025
The "Sunset" Begins
Ubisoft will officially sunset XDefiant on June 3, 2025. The process starts December 3, 2024, halting new player registrations, downloads, and all purchases (game and DLC). Ubisoft is committed to issuing refunds for eligible in-game purchases.
"Players who purchased the Ultimate Founders Pack will receive a full refund. Refunds for VC and DLC purchases made since November 3, 2024, will also be processed. Please allow up to 8 weeks for processing. Refunds should be completed by January 28, 2025. Contact Ubisoft support if you haven't received your refund by then." Note that only the Ultimate Founders Pack is eligible for a refund; Founder's Pack and Founder's Pack Elite are not.
Reasons Behind the Shutdown
Marie-Sophie Waubert, Ubisoft's Chief Studios and Portfolio Officer, explained that XDefiant failed to achieve the player base needed for sustainability in the competitive free-to-play market. Despite a strong initial launch and dedicated fans, long-term player retention proved insufficient to justify further investment.
Team Transitions and Studio Closures
Approximately half of the XDefiant team will transition to other roles within Ubisoft. However, the San Francisco and Osaka studios will close, and the Sydney studio will downsize, resulting in significant job losses (143 in San Francisco, and approximately 134 in Osaka and Sydney combined). This follows previous layoffs in August 2024 affecting other Ubisoft studios. Ubisoft is providing severance packages and career assistance to affected employees.
A Positive Reflection
While XDefiant's closure is disappointing, it initially exceeded expectations, achieving 5 million users shortly after launch in May 2024, and a total of 15 million players overall. However, its long-term performance didn't meet Ubisoft's financial goals. Executive Producer Mark Rubin highlighted the positive player-developer interactions fostered by the game.
"The free-to-play market is incredibly challenging. While we were prepared for a long road to profitability, ultimately the path became unsustainable." Rubin expressed gratitude to the XDefiant community for their passion and support.
Season 3 Release and Prior Reports
Despite the shutdown, Season 3 will launch as planned. While details are limited, speculation points towards Assassin's Creed themed content. A previous Year 1 roadmap (since removed) indicated new factions, weapons, maps, and game modes. However, Season 3 will only be accessible to players who acquired the game before December 3, 2024. Earlier reports from August 29, 2024, correctly predicted the game's closure due to low player numbers, despite initial denials from Ubisoft. The release of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 likely impacted XDefiant's player base.
