XDefiant Release Date Delayed Yet Again

29.03.2024 - 23:56 / gamerant.com / Tom Henderson / Mark Rubin / John DiCarlo / Ubisoft

Ubisoft has confirmed that XDefiant is delayed once again but teased that another public playtest is coming soon. Potential Call of Duty competitor XDefiant was previously intended to launch during Q1 2024, which ends on March 31.

Following its initial reveal over two years ago, XDefiant has experienced several delays. The first-person shooter was set to launch in October 2023 at one point, before issues within the game caused its release date to be pushed back. Recently, insider Tom Henderson claimed to reveal the cause of some of these issues, which were apparently due to XDefiant's emphasis on chasing Call of Duty and wanting to add more and more features inspired by the franchise's success. However, XDefiant director Mark Rubin pushed against these claims and said the delays are instead due to technical issues not related to CoD-like features.

Following those recent developments, XDefiant's Twitter account posted a message explaining that certain improvements still need to be tested before the game is ready for launch. The post further explained that a release date should be locked in followingXDefiant's next test session. However, Ubisoft did not confirm the date for the 12-hour public beta, which is intended to stress test XDefiant's servers and gather data for final adjustments. When it does go live, the short beta session will be available worldwide on the PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.

Initially, XDefiant generated significant excitement, and its open beta was well-received by most. Fans praisedXDefiant for its fresh approach to the Call of Duty-like subgenre of shooters. Activision's massive franchise rarely receives AAA competition, which was another reason for FPS fans to eagerly await Ubisoft's game. However, multiple delays and decreased transparency have soured some fans.

Rubin previously explained that XDefiant's technical issues are linked to netcode and other connectivity problems. This announcement was made back in November, so an additional delay might suggest that these issues took longer than expected to solve or entirely new problems have arisen. For now, it's unknown what window Ubisoft is targeting for XDefiant's eventual release, but a launch sometime during Q2 2024, which ends on June 30, seems possible unless the development issues are severe.

XDefiant utilizes a prestige system reminiscent of the ones seen in older Call of Duty titles before the franchise transitioned to seasonal prestiges. Additionally, XDefiant does not use skill-based matchmaking in non-ranked game modes, another tempting aspect that is sure to attract some Call of Duty fans.

Ubisoft's XDefiant is an online PvP shooter that focuses on fast-paced team-based gameplay. Taking inspiration from the publisher's