Ubisoft Announces XDefiant Server Shutdown in June 2025
Ubisoft has revealed plans to cease operations for its free-to-play shooter, XDefiant, with servers scheduled to shut down on June 3, 2025. This decision marks the end of a relatively short lifespan for the title. The shutdown process begins December 3, 2024, halting new player registrations, downloads, and in-game purchases. Ubisoft is committed to providing refunds for eligible purchases.
Refund Information:
Full refunds will be issued for Ultimate Founders Packs. Refunds for in-game currency (VC) and DLC purchased since November 3, 2024, are also guaranteed. Processing these refunds may take up to eight weeks, with a target completion date of January 28, 2025. Players who haven't received their refund by this date should contact Ubisoft support. Note that only the Ultimate Founders Pack is eligible for a refund; standard and Elite Founders Packs are not.
Reasons for Shutdown:
According to Marie-Sophie Waubert, Ubisoft's Chief Studios and Portfolio Officer, XDefiant failed to achieve the player base and retention necessary to compete successfully in the highly competitive free-to-play FPS market. The game fell short of expectations for sustained profitability, making further investment unsustainable.
Impact on Development Teams:
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. Ubisoft is providing severance packages and career assistance to affected employees. This follows previous layoffs in August 2024, impacting studios in San Francisco, North Carolina, and Toronto.
Positive Reflections:
Despite the closure, XDefiant's Executive Producer, Mark Rubin, highlighted the positive aspects of the game's development, particularly the strong and respectful community interaction fostered by the developers. While the game initially exceeded internal expectations with 5 million users shortly after launch and 15 million players overall, its long-term performance ultimately proved insufficient to justify continued support.
Season 3 Release and Prior Reports:
While the game is shutting down, Season 3 will still launch as planned. Although specifics are limited, speculation points towards content from the Assassin's Creed franchise. A previously published Year 1 Roadmap detailing Season 3's content has since been removed from Ubisoft's website. Earlier reports from August 2024 suggested XDefiant's struggles with player numbers, a claim initially denied by Rubin but ultimately proven accurate. The release of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 between Seasons 2 and 3 is also believed to have impacted XDefiant's player base.
