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Ubisoft to Shut Down XDefiant in June 2025, Impacting 277 Employees

Dec 4, 2024, 03:21 AM

Ubisoft has announced the discontinuation of its free-to-play first-person shooter game, XDefiant, with servers set to close on June 3, 2025. The decision comes after the game struggled to find its footing in the competitive live-service gaming market. XDefiant, which was intended to challenge the dominance of games like Call of Duty, will no longer accept new players or downloads. This closure also marks the end for Ubisoft's production studios in San Francisco and Osaka, Japan, with layoffs affecting approximately 277 employees. The game had initially attracted over 15 million players, but financial viability proved elusive. Ubisoft's move reflects broader challenges in the gaming industry, where even games with significant player bases can struggle to remain profitable. Approximately 177 people are being laid off as part of this shutdown, with Ubisoft San Francisco and Osaka studios closing down.