Ubisoft is sunsetting "Call of Duty killer" XDefiant server in summer 2025

Another terrible news is coming from the game industry as XDefiant, Ubisoft’s ambitious free-to-play shooter, is set to shut down in June 3, 2025.

An exclusive report from Insider Gaming says that the shutdown is due to poor player engagement and spending. Despite early optimism, which many hailed the game as the “Call of Duty killer”, XDefiant’s final Season 3 will be the last full one, and a skeleton crew will maintain the game until its closure.

Sources also report that layoffs will significantly affect the San Francisco and Osaka studios, with 277 employees reportedly losing their jobs. Ubisoft’s operation in the San Francisco production studio is closing while its business office will still remain open.

And now, Ubisoft says in an open letter to the gamers that new downloads, player registrations, and purchases are no longer be available. Players who purchased the Ultimate Founders Pack or made in-game purchases since November 3rd, 2024, will receive full refunds, with processing taking up to 8 weeks.

“We understand that this news may come as a disappointment, and we deeply appreciate the time and passion you have invested in our community,” the company says.

XDefiant launched not too long ago in May 2024 for PS5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S. The game, set in the Ubisoft universe with factions from various Ubisoft franchises, had quite a mixed reception from both critics and financial standpoints.

It had a strong start initially, attracting over 8 million gamers within the first week, but has since seen a rapid decline in the numbers. Back in August, internal sources were saying that the game was struggling to maintain even 20,000 concurrent players, and there were a lot of tensions at Ubisoft’s San Francisco office.

Besides that, the free-to-play game also faced strong competition from Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. Launched in October, the BO6 was the first Call of Duty title to launch on Xbox Game Pass after Microsoft acquired Activision Blizzard.

Then, the rest was history. Black Ops 6 was a success in that it boosted the subscriber numbers of the Xbox Game Pass, making it the most successful Call of Duty title in the franchise. And with the $1-priced 14-day trial of Xbox PC Game Pass coming back, it seems like it won’t go any slower.