Ubisoft’s XDefiant shuts down today: Here’s everything you need to know about refunds, data and more

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Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?

Ubisoft's free-to-play arena shooter XDefiant will shut down permanently today, June 3, 2025. The servers will go offline at an unspecified time, bringing an end to a game that showed early promise with strong beta tests and a record-setting launch in May 2024. At its peak, XDefiant reached over 11 million unique players in its first month, making it Ubisoft's fastest-growing title at the time.

Despite a strong start and the launch of multiple seasons, player engagement dropped sharply in the months that followed. Ubisoft officially announced the game's closure in December 2024, stating it would remain fully playable until today.


Refund policy and eligibility

Ubisoft has issued automatic refunds for specific in-game purchases. Players who bought the Ultimate Founder's Pack will receive a full refund. Additionally, all VC and DLC content purchased on or after November 3, 2024, is eligible for a refund. This includes various VC packs (from 500 to 12,000 XCoins) and DLC items such as the Starter Pack, Gold Pack, and Combat Pack.

Refunds are being processed through the respective storefronts, and Ubisoft has advised players to expect processing to take up to eight weeks. If refunds have not been received by January 28, 2025, users are encouraged to contact Ubisoft Support.
 
RIP. It was a decent game with competent mechanics but when you come at the king (COD), you best not miss and this just wasn't good enough to keep a foothold in that market.
 
Oh wow, for some reason I thought it died already. It was a shame cause the game felt like it was almost there, but still so far.
 
I played a few hours of this game, it was okay, but I eventually dropped it. I'm glad I didn't waste money on it, like some of my friends did.
 
I remember when they tried to brand this turd as "Tom Clancy's XDefiant" and everyone laughed because when you think Tom Clancy you don't think about a Call of Duty clone with Fortnite color schemes
 
I played a few hours of this game, it was okay, but I eventually dropped it. I'm glad I didn't waste money on it, like some of my friends did.
I don't bother with flavor-of-the-month MP games anymore. I don't have a lot of time to play in general and by the time I've played them enough to be decent people have moved on to the next flavor.
 
Hit detection was worse than PS3 wifi.

Supers never activated, I think you needed 20 kills or something.

Just very boring overall. You'd be better off playing BLOPS 2 or something.
 


Ubisoft's Mark Rubin has announced his departure from the company as its live service shooter XDefiant is officially sunsetted.

Rubin, who was executive producer on the title, shared he was leaving the developer on social media.

"I've decided to leave the industry and spend more time with my family, so unfortunately you won't be hearing about me making another game," he wrote.

"I do care passionately about the shooter space and hope that someone else can pick up the flag that I was trying to carry and make games again that care about the players, treat them with respect, and listen to what they have to say."
 


To many publishers, the explosive rise of free-to-play games promised near-endless earning potential, thanks to microtransactions providing extraordinary amounts of passive income. In 2021, for instance, Call of Duty publisher Activision's live-service titles generated a staggering $5.1 billion from in-game purchases alone. The lucrative recurring revenue stream inspired other big-name publishing outfits to pursue the development of similar interactive experiences; a number of them chased the trend to their own detriment. Ubisoft, in particular, buckled beneath the weight of its high expectations in this respect, evidenced by the company canceling multiple work-in-progress games. However, even some titles that survived the culling and hit the market fell short, such was the case with XDefiant.

Ubisoft pulled the plug on XDefiant approximately one year after its release, the arena shooter's constantly diminishing user base playing a crucial role in the decision. Yet, other obstacles contributed to its shortcomings as well, including netcode troubles, gameplay glitches, and allegedly inept leadership. Industry pundits and enthusiasts would argue the writing was on the wall before XDefiant officially went live in May 2024, considering the delays and long periods of uncertainty that beset its pre-release period.

But the first-person shooter did enjoy some success at launch. The game broke a few records and for a time seemed as though it would test the loyalty of Call of Duty faithful. That ship sailed within months, though, leaving behind a compelling gameplay experience that never fully realized its potential.

This is the tragedy of XDefiant.
 
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