xDefiant: Ubisoft's Free-to-Play Shooter Closes Amid Studio Downsizing

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Ubisoft Announces XDefiant Server Shutdown for June 2025

Ubisoft has officially confirmed the shutdown of XDefiant, its free-to-play multiplayer shooter, with server closures set for June 3, 2025. The decision marks the end of a short but ambitious chapter in Ubisoft’s gaming portfolio. Below, we explore the full details of the shutdown process, reasons behind the closure, and what this means for players.

Sunset Plan Begins in December 2024

To begin the game’s sunset phase, Ubisoft will halt new downloads, registrations, and purchases starting December 3, 2024. This includes all in-game currency (VC) and downloadable content (DLC) transactions. Players who made qualifying purchases after November 3, 2024, including those who bought the Ultimate Founders Pack, will be eligible for a full refund.

“Players who purchased the Ultimate Founders Pack will receive a full refund,” stated Ubisoft. “Additionally, those who made VC and DLC purchases since November 3rd, 2024, will also be fully refunded.”

Refunds are expected to be processed within eight weeks, with most players seeing them by January 28, 2025. Those who have not received their refunds by this date can reach out to Ubisoft Support for assistance. Please note that only the Ultimate Founders Pack is eligible for refund—Founder’s Pack and Founder’s Pack Elite purchases are excluded from this policy.

Why Is Ubisoft Closing XDefiant?

In an official blog post dated December 4, 2024, Marie-Sophie Waubert, Ubisoft’s Chief Studios and Portfolio Officer, shared insights into the reasoning behind the decision.

“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.”

The competitive landscape of the F2P space proved challenging for XDefiant, which ultimately failed to meet internal benchmarks required for continued investment. Ubisoft acknowledged the difficulty of the decision but emphasized the need to reallocate resources toward more sustainable projects.

Team Reorganization and Studio Closures

As part of the restructuring, nearly half of the XDefiant development team will transition to other roles within Ubisoft. However, several studios involved in the project will either close or downsize significantly.

“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 likely to depart in Osaka and Sydney.”

Prior to this announcement, Ubisoft had already laid off employees across multiple locations, including 45 staff members in San Francisco and North Carolina on August 16, 2024, as well as 33 employees at Ubisoft Toronto.

Employees affected by the studio closures will be supported through severance packages and career transition services offered by the company.

A Bittersweet Farewell from the Development Team

While XDefiant initially saw strong engagement—including a milestone of 15 million players since launch—it struggled to maintain momentum over time. Despite launching on May 21, 2024, and reaching 5 million users early on, the title was unable to generate sufficient revenue to justify ongoing support.

“Free-to-play, in particular, is a long journey,” explained Mark Rubin, Executive Producer of XDefiant. “Many free-to-play games take a long time to find their footing and become profitable. 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 deep gratitude to the player community, highlighting the positive interactions between developers and fans throughout the game’s lifecycle.

“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 Still Coming Before Shutdown

Despite the impending closure, XDefiant’s Season 3 will still release as scheduled. Details remain sparse, though many speculate the season may incorporate elements from the beloved Assassin’s Creed franchise.

According to the previously released Year 1 Roadmap (since removed), Season 3 was expected to feature:

• New faction
• Additional weapons, maps, and gameplay modes
• Fresh progression content

However, access to Season 3 content will be limited to players who made purchases before December 3, 2024, as part of the game’s sunset strategy.

Early Reports Hinted at Decline

Back on August 29, 2024, Insider Gaming reported that XDefiant was facing declining player numbers, citing anonymous sources within Ubisoft. At the time, Mark Rubin publicly refuted these claims.

“Is the game dying? No, the game is absolutely not dying,” Rubin asserted in the Year 1 Roadmap blog post. “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, internal reports suggested executives were banking on Season 3 to revitalize interest. Unfortunately, the release of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 between Seasons 2 and 3 likely diverted attention away from XDefiant, leading Ubisoft to cut its losses and proceed with the shutdown plan.

With the final chapter of XDefiant now underway, players are encouraged to enjoy the remaining content and claim any rewards before the servers go offline in mid-2025. For now, Ubisoft shifts focus elsewhere, leaving behind a game that showed promise but ultimately couldn’t sustain itself in a crowded market.