Ubisoft’s big Call of Duty-like FPS, XDefiant, might only have until Season 3 to turn things around, increase its player count, and start making more money or the publisher could end post-launch updates and effectively kill the FPS.
Developed by Ubisoft San Fransico, XDefiant finally launched in May for consoles and PC following numerous delays and a well-received beta. Ubisoft’s Call of Duty-like free-to-play shooter came out of the gate with big player numbers, good reviews, and a solid amount of content. I really enjoyed the game as it provided me with a fast-paced arena shooter, but didn’t take up 200 GB of space on my console. But now, a few months later, XDefiant is reportedly bleeding players and Ubisoft has set a deadline for things to improve or it could be over the shooter.
On August 30, Insider Gaming reported that Ubisoft execs had started to sour on XDefiant. At first, the publisher praised the game’s success and revenue, but now it reportedly isn’t happy with the shrinking playerbase and profits. According to Insider Gaming, XDefiant has until season 3, which is likely to arrive in November, to improve things or Ubisoft will stop supporting the game with updates and new content.
It’s reported that the game has been struggling to reach 20,000 concurrent players across all platforms. Another source told Insider Gaming that Ubisoft “would probably be happy” with that number, which seems to imply that the current number of players is even lower.
Due to the low player count and Ubisoft’s deadlines and concerns, some within Ubisoft San Fran are worried about layoffs. The publisher already laid off some San Fran employees earlier this month.
Kotaku has contacted Ubisoft about the report.
Some staff blamed the leaders of the studio for not taking responsibility and working to improve the company’s workplace culture. As previously reported by Insider Gaming in March, some employees claimed that a small group of people at the studio—known as “The Boys Club”—were making bad decisions, giving certain friends more power, and treating employees poorly. It’s suggested that this group led to the game being delayed multiple times.
The plan now is to focus on Season 3 in the hopes of turning things around for XDefiant. However, Season 3 will be landing around the time Black Ops 6 hits consoles and PC. Sources told the outlet that they aren’t feeling too good about the game or the studio’s future.
One source reportedly said: “Expect more Ubisoft San Fran layoff headlines within six months.”
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