Ubisoft’s XDefiant is reportedly shutting down in June 2025, with Ubisoft San Francisco also set to close.
XDefiant, Ubisoft’s fast-paced arena shooter, once aimed to carve out a niche in the competitive gaming scene. Developed by Ubisoft San Francisco, the game gained traction early on with its mix of tactical gameplay and faction-based combat.
However, its journey has been far from smooth. Earlier this year, rumors surfaced that XDefiant might end after its fourth season, but Executive Producer Mark Rubin stepped in, assuring fans the team was committed to supporting the game for the long haul.
“To be crystal clear there are no plans to shut down [XDefiant] after season 4,” Rubin said in a post on X.
XDefiant Officially Shutting Down
UPDATE, December 3rd, 4:04 PM: Ubisoft has officially confirmed that it is shutting down the arcade shooter, XDefiant. Executive Producer Mark Rubin published a note on XDefiant’s official social media channels. You can find the full statement below.
“Hello XDefiant Fans, I am unfortunately here today to announce that XDefiant will be shutting down.
“Starting today (December 3, 2024), new downloads and player registrations will no longer be available. We will still release our Season 3 content in the near future (exact date TBD) and the servers will remain active until June 3, 2025.
“For those who purchased the Ultimate Founder’s Pack, you’ll receive a full refund. Players who made any purchases within the last 30 days will also be fully refunded. Those refunds should happen automatically within 8 weeks of today and you can find more details on our official website, XDefiant.com.
“A few years ago, Ubisoft and the SF Dev team embarked on a bold adventure to develop a new arcade shooter called XDefiant. It was from the start, an incredible challenge. Not only were we trying to shake up the genre by removing Skill-Based Matchmaking (SBMM) while bringing back a more “old-school” arcade shooter experience, but we were also diving into the high-risk, high-reward realm of free-to-play. And for that I want to applaud not only the Dev team but also Ubisoft leadership for taking that chance!
“Free-to-play, in particular, is a long journey. 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.
“I am, of course, heartbroken to have to be writing this post. Yes, this game has been a personal passion for me for years and yes, I know that not all challenges lead to victory, but I also want to recognize all of the developers who are being affected by this closure. Each and every one of them is a real person with a real life separate from our own and they have all put so much of their own passion into making this game. And I hope that they can be proud of what they did achieve. I know that I will always be proud and grateful to have worked with such a great team! A team that really punched above its weight class.
“And what they achieved is truly remarkable. The early response from players when XDefiant launched was amazing—we broke internal records for the fastest game to surpass 5 million users and in the end we had over 15 million players play our game! That is something to be extremely proud of, especially considering how tough this genre is. So, thank you to all of the developers who put their passion into making this game!
“If there’s one thing, I hope we can all take away from this experience, it’s the importance of open, honest communication between developers and players. This “player-first” mentality along with respectful, non-toxic conversations between developers and players has been one of the standout differences that made XDefiant so special. From my very first post about XDefiant, this was the vision I wanted to champion, and I hope it leaves a positive mark on how the game industry treats its players and communities.
“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.
“With the utmost of love and respect, Mark”
Despite that reassurance, it seems the end is closer than anyone anticipated. According to a recent report, XDefiant will officially shut down by June 2025.
This is according to a new report from journalist Tom Henderson of Insider Gaming, who claims multiple sources have confirmed the impending closure of both XDefiant and Ubisoft San Francisco.
Allegedly, the decision comes down to declining player numbers and low revenue from in-game purchases. “The news was mentioned in an internal all-hands meeting today. The decision was made due to poor player numbers and a lack of player spending.”
While Season 3 will continue as planned, it’s said that no full seasons will follow, with only a “skeleton crew maintaining the title until June 2025.”
Ubisoft San Francisco, the studio behind XDefiant, is reportedly set to close its doors entirely, with another round of layoffs expected in February 2025. “Another wave of layoffs will happen in February, with Ubisoft San Francisco closing its doors,” the report states.
As with any unconfirmed report, it’s important to take everything =with a grain of salt until Ubisoft officially comments. What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments below!
