By Sagar V. Mankar 
XDefiant, Ubisoft’s ambitious first-person shooter, might be facing an uncertain future. Recent rumors suggest that the game’s support could end after its fourth season if player numbers don’t improve.
These reports come from leaker Shaun Weber, who shared concerning updates about the game on X/Twitter on October 14.
According to Weber’s post, Ubisoft’s research team is asking playtesters to host in-house sessions to gather feedback on the shooter. Multiple sources have reportedly told Weber that if XDefiant doesn’t see an increase in player numbers, Ubisoft may halt support after Season 4.
XDefiant is currently in its second season, which launched on September 25, introducing a new faction called the Highwaymen, along with new weapons, maps, and modes inspired by Far Cry New Dawn.
When it first launched, the game made quite a splash. It grabbed the attention of shooter fans, with many calling it a potential “COD killer.” The initial response was also impressive reaching 1 million unique players in just two and a half hours after launch and exceeding 8 million players in its first week, according to Insider Gaming.
However, the initial excitement didn’t last long. Reports suggest that the player base has significantly declined, with the game struggling to reach 20,000 concurrent players by August. Player spending also reportedly saw a decline during that period. These issues have fueled speculation that XDefiant’s days could be numbered if the player count continues to drop.
In August, Insider Gaming’s Tom Henderson reported that the game was “on borrowed time,” with Ubisoft San Francisco under pressure to improve player numbers by the end of Season 3. Failure to do so could result in the game losing its much-needed post-launch support.
Despite these concerns, XDefiant’s executive producer, Mark Rubin, later addressed the rumors, denying that the game was “dying.” Rubin reassured fans by revealing a full roadmap for the game’s first year, promising continued content updates, including new factions, weapons, maps, battle passes, and limited-time modes. He also acknowledged the game’s technical issues, particularly problems with hit registration and netcode, and stated that Ubisoft had hired “specialized engineers” to address these concerns.
The situation with XDefiant is part of a larger challenging period for Ubisoft. The company has faced several setbacks recently, including delays in Assassin’s Creed Shadows and internal investigations. During a recent Trading Call Update in late September, CEO Yves Guillemot mentioned that the company had lowered its second-quarter revenue expectations by 30%. When questioned about this, Guillemot cited lower-than-expected sales for Star Wars Outlaws and added that XDefiant was also performing “behind expectations,” though it had a more limited impact.
As we look at all these pieces of information, it’s clear that XDefiant is at a crucial point. The coming months will be critical in determining whether XDefiant can bounce back and secure its place in the competitive world of online shooters.