Amid rumors of a shutdown after just four seasons, XDefiant producer Mark Rubin denied those claims and revealed discussions for a second year of content.
In a post on Twitter/X, renowned leaker Shaun Weber posted a categorical tweet stating that the game is “already dead.” The tweet details internal processes at Ubisoft that could serve as a last throw of the dice for the beleaguered game.
Weber explains how the research team has called in the play testers for an “in-house test session,” to provide additional feedback. They concluded by saying that, if they can’t get enough players, Season 4 will be the last.
XDefiant producer Mark Rubin responded, “there are NO plans to shut down after season 4.” Rubin confirmed that meetings have taken place to discuss a second year of content, but for now the team is focused on adding more Season 3 and 4 content.
“We have done very little marketing so yes our numbers are down but that is just to give the team the time to get the game in a better place before we do bigger spends on marketing to bring new players to the game and to bring back players that have left,” Rubin explained.
To be crystal clear there are NO plans to shut down after season 4. I've literally been in meetings as of last week to discuss our Year 2 plans. But, right now we are super focused on improving the technical experience (which includes netcode) and adding more content for Seasons…
— Mark Rubin (@PixelsofMark) October 15, 2024
Despite Rubin’s comments, there are still concerns over the title’s future. In the run-up to launch, the game’s stripped-back approach to mechanics appealed to many, in a world of high-octane and complex battle royales like Apex Legends.
Initially, it seemed as though it had been successful in capitalizing on that momentum, as Ubisoft ticked off player counts up beyond 12 million.
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Unfortunately for the developer, player retention has been a major issue and the game has dropped out of the top 10 in weekly charts across all platforms.
As a result, Weber has claimed that Ubisoft will end support for the game after Season 4 if they are unable to generate any more players.
With the game in its second season, there is some time to turn this around. A report from Insider Gaming back in August initially claimed that the game only had until Season 3 to reverse its fortunes, so at the very least this would be an extension of that proposed timeline.
For now, at least, the developer is continuing to actively work on the game, rolling out fixes in response to issues players have raised. The latest set of changes emerged on October 8, addressing significant problems with movement, combat, and unintended interactions.
After several high profile disappointments at Ubisoft, including the spectacular difficulties of pirate sim Skull and Bones, the developer will be keen to steady the ship with the release of Assassin’s Creed: Shadows.