Ubisoft Shuts Down XDefiant, Affects 277 Jobs

Ubisoft has announced the shutdown of its free-to-play first-person shooter XDefiant, leading to the closure of its San Francisco and Osaka studios, and a reduction in operations at its Sydney site, affecting 277 employees. Despite an initially strong launch with over 10 million players in the first two weeks, XDefiant failed to maintain its player base, struggling to meet performance expectations in the competitive free-to-play FPS market. The decision came after player numbers dropped below 20,000 concurrent users, leading to the game's eventual sunset. Players can no longer download or register for the game as of December 3, 2024, but existing users can continue playing until June 3, 2025, with Season 3 content still to be released. Refunds will be issued for certain recent purchases, including the Ultimate Founders Pack. Ubisoft emphasizes its commitment to developing live service games despite XDefiant's closure, citing other successful titles as part of its ongoing strategy.