XDefiant Archives

AppWizard

September 11, 2025

Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot wants to “predominantly push” multiplayer in future Far Cry games

Ubisoft's CEO, Yves Guillemot, announced a shift in focus for the Far Cry franchise towards a stronger emphasis on multiplayer experiences. He expressed the ambition to make multiplayer aspects more prominent, allowing for extended play by players. This change comes despite the franchise's history of limited multiplayer features and the mixed reception of live-service models in recent years. Speculations suggest potential returns to cooperative campaigns, revival of PvP modes, or the introduction of a sandbox environment for player interactions. There is currently no confirmed release year for the next installment, Far Cry 7.

AppWizard

June 5, 2025

XDefiant exec producer Rubin departs Ubisoft

Mark Rubin, the executive producer of Ubisoft's XDefiant, has left the company, and the game is set to be discontinued. Rubin cited inadequate marketing and technical issues with the Snowdrop engine as challenges for the project. The entire team behind XDefiant was let go at the end of the previous year, with many members seeking new opportunities. Rubin is stepping away from the gaming industry to spend time with his family. In December 2024, Ubisoft announced the closure of XDefiant, leading to the layoff of approximately 300 employees.

AppWizard

April 17, 2025

Report: Ubisoft developing battle royale title to Apex Legends

Ubisoft is developing a new battle royale game codenamed Scout, inspired by Apex Legends, with characters resembling those from the popular title. The project aims to attract players from Apex Legends, which has seen a decline in engagement. Ubisoft previously launched Hyperscape in 2020, but it was discontinued after 18 months. The company also canceled its free-to-play shooter XDefiant, which was set for release in late 2024. Additionally, a new version of Apex Legends is in development, expected to launch after April 2026.

AppWizard

March 19, 2025

Report: An Overwhelming Majority of PC Gamers Prefer Older Video Games

Players dedicated 15% of their total gaming time to newly released titles in 2024, 47% to games released within the last one to seven years, and 37% to titles released eight years ago or earlier. There is a perceived decline in the quality of AAA games released in 2024, with high-profile launches failing to excite many gamers.

AppWizard

December 20, 2024

Only 15% of all Steam users’ time was spent playing games released in 2024

Steam users played 50% fewer games in 2024 compared to the previous year, influenced by Game Pass, emulation, and the Nintendo 3DS XL. Only 15% of total gaming time was spent on titles launched in 2024, while 47% was dedicated to games released in the last one to seven years, and 37% to titles over eight years old. The free-to-play game Banana gained significant attention, and the action-adventure game Black Myth: Wukong led in single-player concurrent players. Long-standing games like Counter-Strike, Dota 2, and PUBG dominated the Most Played charts, making it challenging for new live service games to succeed. Steam offers over 200,000 titles, with around 18,000 released in 2024, making the 15% of playtime on new games seem reasonable.

AppWizard

December 4, 2024

Ubisoft to close XDefiant, lay off nearly 300 staff

Ubisoft has announced the closure of its free-to-play shooter, XDefiant, due to difficulties in attracting and retaining a sufficient player base. This decision impacts nearly 300 employees, with 143 positions affected in San Francisco and 134 in Osaka and Sydney. Ubisoft remains committed to developing games-as-a-service experiences and plans to learn from the lessons of XDefiant for future titles. The company is focused on steering itself back toward growth and innovation, with intentions to evolve production and business practices. The announcement follows a previous statement in October where Ubisoft asserted that XDefiant would not be closing in the near future.