Ubisoft is giving up on XDefiant

Ubisoft will shut down XDefiant in June 2025, impacting 277 jobs.

: Ubisoft's XDefiant, a first-person shooter, will close on June 3, 2025, leading to 277 layoffs. Despite initial success and 15 million players, it couldn't sustain growth. The Osaka, San Francisco, and Sydney studios will be closed as a result. Ubisoft is also facing various setbacks with other project cancellations and delays.

Ubisoft has decided to shut down its first-person shooter XDefiant on June 3, 2025, after less than six months since its launch. The decision affects 277 employees and involves the closure of production studios in Osaka, San Francisco, and a ramp down in Sydney.

Despite achieving fast growth with 5 million users and a total of 15 million players, Ubisoft's XDefiant struggled to maintain a competitive edge in the demanding free-to-play FPS market. Marie-Sophie de Waubert, Ubisoft's chief studios and portfolio officer, expressed gratitude to the affected employees and confirmed full refunds for recent purchases.

The closure follows a series of challenges for Ubisoft, including canceling The Division: Heartland before launch and delaying Assassin's Creed Shadows. These setbacks, alongside previous project cancellations and restructuring, reflect broader difficulties the company is facing.

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