Summary

  • Ubisoft denied a report claiming that XDefiant's attempts to copy Call of Duty are to blame for its latest delay.
  • A senior company official cited bug fixes and a social system revamp as the things that kept the game from hitting its Q1 2024 release window target.
  • An official status update on XDefiant is coming soon, possibly as early as late March 2024.

A Ubisoft executive has denied a newly emerged report suggesting that XDefiant is being delayed because of Call of Duty. The official also offered a minor status update on XDefiant as part of the move.

Ubisoft's free-to-play shooter was first announced in July 2021 as Tom Clancy's XDefiant before rebranding itself to just XDefiant come May 2022. Since then, the game has undergone multiple closed and open beta tests, but has also failed to hit a number of release date targets. Ubisoft last said it plans to launch it by the end of its current fiscal year, which concludes on March 31. But with one week left until the end of that deadline and no official news in sight, the shooter now seems poised to miss that release window as well.

Ubisoft’s XDefiant Gets Hit With a Delay After Failing Xbox and PlayStation Certification
Ubisoft’s XDefiant Gets Hit With a Delay After Failing Xbox and PlayStation Certification

Ubisoft's new free-to-play first-person shooter XDefiant gets a notable delay after failing the certification process for PlayStation and Xbox.

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XDefiant Isn't Chasing Call of Duty, Producer Says

A March 23 report from Insider Gaming's Tom Henderson alleged that the game's troubled development is at least partially to blame on Ubisoft's insistence to keep adding Call of Duty elements to XDefiant, citing people familiar with the matter. One source was quoted as saying that "the never-ending hunt to chase COD and add pointless stuff always breaks the current build." XDefiant director and producer, Mark Rubin, denied that claim in a subsequent tweet, characterizing it as a "major eyeroll [sic]."

The move prompted Henderson to double down on his report, having done so by quoting an excerpt from it that urges fans not to take XDefiant status updates at face value because they don't "reflect what's truly going on." The perception that Ubisoft's upcoming shooter is trying to copy Activision's hit franchise was already voiced by some fans in the past, not least because XDefiant kept revealing new Call of Duty-like features.

More Official XDefiant News Coming 'Soon'

Responding to some subsequent fan questions on social media, Rubin said the developers have lately been silent because "there isn't much to talk about." Elaborating on that point, the executive asserted that the latest delay had nothing to do with new XDefiant features and was solely focused on fixing critical bugs and revamping the game's social system. That undertaking is now close to completion, with Rubin revealing that Ubisoft San Francisco will "soon" share a new detailed update on the game's status, which will "probably" happen during the final week of March.

Online chatter over Henderson's report and Rubin's subsequent comments appears to be fairly polarizing; some fans have voiced their frustrations with the game's repeated delays following this development, while others opined that waiting for a good game is preferable to playing an unfinished product early. In spite of its development roadblocks, XDefiant still appears to be one of the most highly anticipated upcoming free-to-play games.

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XDefiant Tag Page Cover Art
XDefiant
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FPS
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Systems
PC-1 PlayStation-1 Xbox-1
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Released
May 21, 2024
ESRB
T For Teen due to Mild Language, Violence
Developer(s)
Ubisoft San Francisco
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XDefiant is a free-to-play, first-person online arena shooter where you compete in fast-paced clashes. With cross-play available at launch, you will be able to play with friends on a variety of platforms.

Season 1 introduces the Team Rainbow operators of GS-Kommando leveraging their counter-terrorism training to disrupt their enemies. They can deploy electrified barbed wire for area denial, counter incoming enemy devices with their Active Defense System, and dazzle multiple foes with flash charges mounted on their G52-Tactical Shield.

While GS-Kommando operators pride themselves on using non-lethal force whenever possible, they are as capable on the battlefield as any spec ops group.

Customized Loadouts: Choose from a large arsenal of weapons, attachments, and devices to optimize the way you play. Combine any weapon with any faction, and unlock new options as you play to perfect your playstyle.

Factions: Factions are drawn from iconic Ubisoft worlds and represent distinct classes, each with unique abilities and ultras. Choose any character from any faction to assemble your team of six players. Change your faction at any point during play to adapt to your strategy.

Maps, Modes, and Mayhem: Play in a diverse range of 14 maps at launch across several different arena and linear modes including Zone Control, Escort, Occupy, and more. Fight in casual matches or climb the tiers in competitive ranked mode.

Publisher(s)
Ubisoft
Engine
Snowdrop
Genre(s)
FPS