Ubisoft’s XDefiant Gets Hit With a Delay After Failing Xbox…

Summary

Ubisoft's free-to-play FPS XDefiant experiences a delay after failing certification for PlayStation and Xbox platforms, requiring bug fixes before release.
XDefiant offers players various factions and classes from existing Ubisoft franchises, engaging in 6v6 gunfights across different maps in a near-future US setting.
Ubisoft plans to fix bugs and submit XDefiant for certification within the next couple of weeks, aiming for a release in September or potentially October 2023.

Ubisoft's free-to-play first-person shooter XDefiant gets hit with a delay after failing certification for PlayStation and Xbox platforms. XDefiant was originally planned for a summer 2023 launch, but PlayStation and Xbox require Ubisoft to iron out more bugs and issues before the title can be shipped.

In XDefiant, players have access to a variety of factions and classes with their own set of abilities and weapons. Each of the factions is based on other existing Ubisoft franchises such as the Phantoms from Ghost Recon and Echelon from Splinter Cell. Players may choose their faction and engage in gunfights across various 6v6 maps in a near-future United States setting. This past June, Ubisoft launched an XDefiant open beta in order to stress test the title before its summer launch, and a roadmap for the game's first four seasons was revealed. However, Ubisoft fans will need to wait a while longer before XDefiant is officially released due to issues that arose in the certification process.

Ubisoft published a new blog post by executive producer and director Mark Rubin, revealing that XDefiant will receive a delay due to its failure involving PlayStation and Xbox certification. Rubin notes that the certification process began at the end of July, and the development team received a Not Pass in mid-August. According to Rubin, XDefiant did not pass certification due to compliance and functionality bugs that must be addressed before a successful release on PlayStation and Xbox platforms. Ubisoft will work on remedying functionality bugs to ensure that XDefiant's gameplay features and shooting mechanics are working as intended, and the platform holders will continue working on compliance bugs that relate to system features such as trophies, friend list compatibility, and other platform-specific elements.

Ubisoft worked on fixing the game's bugs for roughly three to four weeks according to Rubin. The company will submit XDefiant for certification in one to two weeks. If XDefiant passes certification, the game's release will be scheduled for mid-to-late September 2023. However, XDefiant could potentially receive a conditional Pass, which would require Ubisoft to develop a day one patch and delay the release to early-to-mid October 2023 instead. Rubin is unable to reveal an exact release date, but Ubisoft plans to share more information about XDefiant once it passes certification for PlayStation and Xbox.

It's clear that XDefiant still needs crucial bug fixes before it's ready to launch, and outlets and players alike shared a similar sentiment during the closed and open beta tests. The extra development time may prove to be beneficial for XDefiant's overall quality, but a release closer to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and other anticipated titles could be detrimental. The chances of XDefiant outdoing Call of Duty will be slim if its launch is overshadowed, lacks compelling features, or suffers from technical problems.

For those wanting to finally play XDefiant in its fully realized form, a release later this month appears to be ideal. This would give gamers more time to become acquainted with XDefiant before the fall and holiday seasons arrive with a slew of major game releases across all platforms.

XDefiant is coming soon to PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.