Ubisoft Shuts Down XDefiant, Leaving Over 200 Employees Without Jobs
San Francisco, CA – A year after its launch, Ubisoft has announced the closure of its free-to-play shooter, XDefiant, leaving over 277 employees across studios in the U.S., Japan, and Australia facing unemployment. The decision comes despite the game garnering a solid 15 million players.
"It was, from the start, an incredible challenge," reflected Mark Rubin, XDefiant’s executive producer. "Not only were we trying to shake up the genre by removing skill-based matchmaking 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."
While Ubisoft acknowledges the team’s dedication and the game’s successes, they cite the significant resources required for a project of this scale to become profitable.
"The journey became too much to sensibly continue," the company stated in a press release.
As part of the restructuring, Ubisoft will be closing production studios in San Francisco, Osaka, and Sydney. While at least half of the XDefiant development team will be moved to other roles within Ubisoft, the remaining employees will be laid off.
The servers for the game will remain active until June 3, 2025, allowing players continued access. Refunds will be available for purchases made in the last 30 days, but new player registration and downloads are no longer possible.
Despite the difficult news, Rubin emphasizes the positive aspects of the XDefiant journey.
"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.”
This closure follows several challenges for Ubisoft, including a delay in the release of the highly anticipated "Assassin’s Creed: Shadows" and a cybersecurity incident that affected the entire platform earlier this year.
The move highlights the volatile nature of the gaming industry, where even successful projects can struggle to achieve long-term sustainability.
