Ubisoft delays XDefiant after public tests

The free-to-play arena shooter needs more time

Marco Wutz | Oct 10, 2023

Ubisoft delays XDefiant after public tests /

Ubisoft has announced that the planned preseason for XDefiant is being delayed. In a statement posted on social media, the developer and publisher wrote: “The PTS [Public Test Session] once again showed us your appreciation for our fast-paced gunplay, uniquely crafted maps, objective-driven modes, and iconic Faction roster. But it also surfaced some inconsistencies in the game experience that we need to address prior to launching our Preseason.”

This is why, the statement continued, Ubisoft decided to delay the preseason of XDefiant. “The team will continue working to address these issues and testing them to make sure we deliver on our goal of being a best-in-class arcade shooter,” the statement said. “We will share more information about Preseason and testing as it comes.”

Artwork for XDefiant showing a masked soldier. — XDefiant has been delayed indefinitely / Ubisoft

Developed by Ubisoft San Francisco for PC (via Ubisoft Connect), PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S, XDefiant was supposed to launch in October 2023. The first-person shooter contains characters from other Ubisoft titles such as Ghost Recon, The Division, and Splinter Cell and was announced back in 2021.

Closed testing earlier this year actually created lots of positive buzz around the title with Twitch numbers being especially encouraging – XDefiant beat the combined numbers of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2.0 at that point.

Public testing on PC happened in late September 2023, which generated the criticism Ubisoft itself mentioned in the statement. It seems like the publisher doesn’t want to repeat the mistakes it made with Hyperscape, a battle royale shooter by Ubisoft Montreal it released prematurely and then shut down 18 months later. XDefiant’s developers are given all the time they need to ensure a good player experience.

Not releasing the game in the initially targeted October window seems like the right move from another angle as well: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is coming out on November 10, 2023, and would likely divert attention and players from Ubisoft’s title.

Published Oct 10, 2023

MARCO WUTZ

Marco Wutz is a writer from Parkstetten, Germany. He has a degree in Ancient History and a particular love for real-time and turn-based strategy games like StarCraft, Age of Empires, Total War, Age of Wonders, Crusader Kings, and Civilization as well as a soft spot for Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail. He began covering StarCraft 2 as a writer in 2011 for the largest German community around the game and hosted a live tournament on a stage at gamescom 2014 before he went on to work for Bonjwa, one of the country's biggest Twitch channels. He branched out to write in English in 2015 by joining tl.net, the global center of the StarCraft scene run by Team Liquid, which was nominated as the Best Coverage Website of the Year at the Esports Industry Awards in 2017. He worked as a translator on The Crusader Stands Watch, a biography in memory of Dennis "INTERNETHULK" Hawelka, and provided live coverage of many StarCraft 2 events on the social channels of tl.net as well as DreamHack, the world's largest gaming festival. From there, he transitioned into writing about the games industry in general after his graduation, joining GLHF, a content agency specializing in video games coverage for media partners across the globe, in 2021. He has also written for NGL.ONE, kicker, ComputerBild, USA Today's ForTheWin, The Sun, Men's Journal, and Parade. Email: marco.wutz@glhf.gg