Ubisoft's free-to-play first-person arena shooter XDefiant has officially shut down today, June 4, 2025. This no big news for the gaming community, as Ubisoft had unveiled the decision to sunset XDefiant in December 2024.
Shortly after Ubisoft's statement in December 2024, the game was hit by a wave of new content with the release of Season 3, which included updates that developers had expected to be released during the next years. Therefore, some of the factions released looked unfinished, as these new characters likely needed more work.
Unfortunately, seven months after Ubisoft's announcement regarding XDefiant's future, the shooter has now officially closed its doors as expected, as confirmed in the game's official social channels.
Since XDefiant's release in May 2024, the shooter received mixed opinions. While some players thought XDefiant had the potential to debunk Call of Duty — or at least become a fierce opponent to Treyarch's franchise — some others believed XDefiant was still ages behind. However, most players agreed on XDefiant being an enjoyable experience that just needed some more time to become fruitful.
Unluckily for XDefiant's players and fans, Ubisoft's tough economical situation pushed the company to close studios and sunset multiple projects, with XDefiant being one of the titles affected. This is what XDefiant said in the game's statement made on December 3, 2024:
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.
Keep on reading for more information about Ubisoft's free-to-play first-person arena shooter XDefiant:
When was XDefiant released?
XDefiant was released on May 21, 2024.
When did Ubisoft announce XDefiant was going to shut down?
Ubisoft announced the company's decision to shut down XDefiant on December 3, 2024.
When did XDefiant officially shut down?
XDefiant officially shut down on June 4, 2025.
How many seasons of XDefiant were released?
Ubisoft released three seasons in XDefiant, with Season 3, released in December 2024, being the last one. It also included additions that were expected to be launched to the game in future updates.
Why did Ubisoft shut down XDefiant?
XDefiant shut down because Ubisoft's economic struggles, which led to lay offs and studios being closed. According to Ubisoft's statement on December 3, the free-to-play journey "became too much to sensibly continue."
Was XDefiant successful?
It's difficult to say if XDefiant was successful or unsuccessful. However, many people believe it was, as Ubisoft's shooter "broke internal records" after becoming "the fastest game to surpass 5 million users" and, in the end, over 15 million players played the game.
While it made a lot of sense for Ubisoft to have a shooter like XDefiant, which had great links with other Ubisoft video games like Rainbow Six Siege, Far Cry, and Assassin's Creed, among others, developing it simply became too much.
Could XDefiant make a return in the future?
While XDefiant has just closed its doors, Ubisoft's shooter could make a return in the future. Right now, that seems very unlikely; but, if Ubisoft bounces back, XDefiant could return.
Unfortunately, we repeat: we're very far from a time where Ubisoft decides to bring XDefiant back.
For more information about Ubisoft and XDefiant, make sure to stick with us here at Siege.gg, the best site for Rainbow Six Siege coverage and any other major FPS title.