Ubisoft has decided to cease development and shut down the servers for XDefiant, due to insufficient player numbers, just seven months after its launch.

On May 21, 2024, Ubisoft launched XDefiant, a first-person shooter game touted as a hybrid of Overwatch and Counter-Strike. However, despite the combination, it failed to attract a significant player base.

Ubisoft has now opted to discontinue the development of the game and close its servers, as continuing operations without a substantial player community would only result in unnecessary costs for both the development team and server maintenance.

The servers for XDefiant will not be shut down immediately but are scheduled to close on June 3, 2025. Ubisoft has announced that players who purchased any in-game items within 30 days leading up to the announcement can request a refund. The in-game store has already been disabled, preventing further purchases, and the game is no longer available for download or new registrations. Given that it's an online game, converting it to a single-player format is likely not feasible through technical means.

As a renowned game developer, Ubisoft is currently facing challenges, with layoffs affecting 277 employees across three studios. The company is also shutting down its studios in San Francisco, USA, and Osaka, Japan, while scaling back the development tasks at its Sydney, Australia studio.

In an official statement, Ubisoft expressed a commitment to taking necessary steps to return to a path of growth, innovation, and creativity on a global scale. However, this official rhetoric does little to mask the reality of the layoffs.