The continuation of XDefiant is in limbo. Insiders speak of serious problems and the possible termination of the game.
San Francisco, California – XDefiant launched in May 2024 with an impressive increase in players. Within a very short time, the game reached millions of players, exceeding all expectations. The positive results were also reflected in Ubisoft's financial figures. However, the current development shows a downward trend in player numbers. Ubisoft must now take measures to reverse this trend and ensure the long-term success of XDefiant
This news comes even though the first season of XDefiant is less than 2 months old:
Ubisoft increases the pressure on XDefiant – is the end in sight?
This is what the numbers say: 8 million players in one week. XDefiant was able to celebrate this success when it was released in May 2024. For this reason, the shooter was also dubbed the “Call of Duty” killer. While in May people still felt indestructible, 4 months later the fear of a potential end sets in. Gaming insider Tom Henderson reports on Insider Gaming that the Ubisoft shooter now attracts barely 20,000 players – and that's on all platforms. Now Ubisoft has set a deadline.
This season is supposed to change everything: While leaks claim that the second season of XDefiant will be released on September 24th, the deadline has been set for a later date. Henderson reports that the executives want to put everything on XDefiant Season 3. The employees are much more pessimistic, says Henderson. Black Ops 6 will be released between Seasons 2 and 3, and the third chapter in XDefiant is set to start at the same time as the first “Call of Duty” season.
The launch of the Black Ops 6 beta will surely attract more shooter fans from XDefiant:
What happens next? The frustration of the employees is strongly directed against the management. At the beginning of the year, Tom Henderson reported a toxic work culture in the company. At the beginning of August, 45 employees of the studio in San Francisco were also laid off. One employee made the following statement to the insider: “Expect more layoff headlines from Ubisoft San Francisco within the next six months.”
The future of XDefiant depends heavily on the rest of the year. Can the addition of Ranked Play, which is still to come, attract more players? There should also be a potential “Assassin's Creed” crossover in the game. However, the future does not look promising.