A leaker has released a report that suggests XDefiant could be shut down after the upcoming Season 4 update.
Ever since XDefiant's triumphant launch period, the first-person shooter has been on a steady decline. With player counts dropping and inner turmoil at Ubisoft, where XDefiant is developed, it's been fair to wonder if the game has the legs to even last a full calendar year.
While some leaks have emerged that state the higher-ups are worried about XDefiant's future, those pale in comparison to a new report from an industry insider. The insider has stated XDefiant could possibly be on its last legs. So, if player counts don't improve, a termination date might already be set.
XDefiant is reportedly on its last legs
According to insider Shaun Weber, Just4Leaks2 on X, sources have indicated that Season 4 could be the final season of XDefiant. But only if the current player count doesn't increase. Two months ago, insider Tom Henderson reported that the game had trouble sustaining 20,000 concurrent players across all systems. By all accounts, that number has either stayed the same or dropped since that report was released.
The recent leak from Shaun Weber says that playtesters are once again going to provide feedback to the developers. While it's possible much of this feedback could be implemented into XDefiant soon, it might all be for naught if the player count remains as low as it has been.
If the leak is correct and player counts don't improve, then XDefiant has two more full seasons before it will shut down. Season 2 of the game is currently ongoing and Season 3 will be released by the end of 2024. Season 4 will likely follow in the early months of 2025. This gives XDefiant just a few months to turn things around if Shaun Weber's sources are accurate.
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Mark Rubin shuts down the report
Speaking of the leak's accuracy, shortly after it was reported, lead executive of XDefiant Mark Rubin had some words for the community. Rubin has always been vocal on social media regarding the status and future of the game. As a result, it's not a surprise to see him chime in with some contrasting remarks.
Rubin stated that there are currently "NO plans to shut down [XDefiant] after Season 4." The executive went on to say that he's been in recent meetings about adding content for Seasons 3 and 4 and fixing many of the game's issues, including the faulty netcode. Rubin attributes the low player count recently due to little marketing:
At this point, it's difficult to trust either source fully. While Mark Rubin has certainly been upfront with many aspects of XDefiant, it would be extremely strange for him to come out and confirm any part of the leak. However, he could also be hiding some of the truth to avoid a mass panic from XDefiant's dwindling player base. On the other hand, Shaun Weber isn't a well-known leaker, so their sources could very well be inaccurate.
We'll have to wait and see what the future holds for XDefiant. It certainly seems like the game is struggling to increase player count. This is a real issue for the game regardless of content or marketing.
