Ubisoft's free-to-play shooter, XDefiant, is shutting down its servers on June 3, 2025. This decision, announced on December 4th, follows a period of declining player numbers and ultimately, insufficient profitability to justify continued investment in a highly competitive market.
The "sunset" process begins December 3, 2024, halting new player registrations, downloads, and in-game purchases. Ubisoft will issue full refunds for Ultimate Founders Packs and in-game purchases made since November 3, 2024, with refunds expected by January 28, 2025. Contact Ubisoft for assistance if a refund isn't received by this date. Note that only the Ultimate Founders Pack is eligible for a refund.
Ubisoft's Chief Studios and Portfolio Officer, Marie-Sophie Waubert, attributed the closure to the game's inability to attract and retain a sufficient player base to compete effectively within the free-to-play FPS market. This decision also leads to the closure of Ubisoft's San Francisco and Osaka studios, and a significant downsizing of its Sydney operations, resulting in substantial job losses. Approximately half of the XDefiant team will transition to other roles within Ubisoft.
Despite initially exceeding 5 million users shortly after its May 21, 2024 release and attracting a total of 15 million players, the game's performance ultimately fell short of expectations. XDefiant Executive Producer, Mark Rubin, highlighted the positive community interactions fostered by the game, while acknowledging the challenges inherent in the free-to-play market.
Season 3 will still launch as planned, though details remain scarce. Previous plans, now superseded by the shutdown announcement, included new factions, weapons, maps, and game modes, potentially including content from the Assassin's Creed franchise. Access to Season 3 will be limited to players who acquired the game before December 3, 2024.
Reports of XDefiant's struggles surfaced earlier in August 2024, citing low player counts. While initially denied, the subsequent shutdown announcement confirms these concerns. The release of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 between Seasons 2 and 3 likely further impacted XDefiant's player base. Ultimately, Ubisoft concluded that ceasing operations was the most prudent course of action.
