Xdefiant was a free first person arena shooter game developed by Ubisoft. It featured a variety of game modes and fast-paced team-based multiplayer matches. The game was inspired by a variety of Ubisoft franchises, and incorporates maps and factions from titles such as Far Cry, The Division, and Splinter Cell.
This provided players with a unique experience with familiar characters, locations and themes. Xdefiant offered a variety of game modes, including classic team deathmatch, Capture The Flag, and objective modes such as Domination and Escort.
The biggest part of the game was that players could choose from a selection of facts with unique abilities and playstyles inspired by several Ubisoft Universes. In terms of player counts, Xdefiant has dropped significantly since its launch.
The game initially attracted many players, but was eventually cancelled as they struggled to maintain a healthy player base. This article will explain further why games, players were counted and cancelled in 2025. So keep reading and learn more.
Everything you need to know about Xdefiant and its player count in 2025
Xdefiant is a first-person shooter game that combines traditional FPS mechanics with elements of hero shooting games, with customizable loadouts and capabilities tied to various factions.
The nature of its freeplay has actually become accessible to more viewers, but its number of players has seen a significant drop. The game was released on May 21, 2024 for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/s. The game blended elements of first-person shooters and competitive games, so it quickly gained popularity right after its release. However, the server was officially closed on June 3, 2025 and was discontinued in June 2025.
In fact, the game initially saw strong launches with millions of players, but struggled to maintain a healthy player base and ended up finishing. The game once beat internal records by winning the fastest title to reach one million unique players. Despite initial success, the number of players has dropped significantly, with some sources showing that they are struggling to maintain 20,000 concurrent players across all platforms.
Due to a decline in player base and lack of engagement, Ubisoft announced in December 2024 that Xdefiant would be cancelled. Season 3, the final season of the game, was still released after the conclusion of the season without further development or support planning.
This is an expression of the number of players in Xdefiant.
| month | Average monthly users | Gain/Loss | Gain/Loss % | Average daily user |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 2025 | -14 | -100 | 0 | |
| March 2025 | 14 | -1,164 | -99 | 4 |
| February 2025 | 1,178 | -1,322 | -53 | 338 |
| January 2025 | 2,501 | -13,527 | -84 | 717 |
| December 2024 | 16,027 | -1,349,058 | -99 | 2,885 |
| November 2024 | 1,365,085 | -195,220 | -13 | 295,768 |
| October 2024 | 1,560,085 | -47,925 | -3 | 447,287 |
| September 2024 | 1,608,230 | -41,914 | -3 | 461,026 |
| August 2024 | 1,650,144 | 65,144 | 4 | 473,041 |
| July 2024 | 1,585,000 | -215,000 | -17 | 489,500 |
| June 2024 | 1,800,000 | -700,000 | -32 | 585,000 |
| May 2024 | 2,500,000 | 2,500,000 | 100 | 850,000 |
Why did Xdefiant shut down?
Xdefiant has officially been closed and its servers were closed on June 3, 2025. This decision comes after a review of the performance and profitability of the game, and is in line with Ubisoft’s improved selectivity in R&D investments.
The game is no longer available, including removing new downloads, registering players, and closing servers. Season 3 content was released and distributed to existing players, offering a refund for the Ultimate Founders Pack and recent purchases. However, since June 3rd, the game has become unplayable for everyone.
Several factors have contributed to the cancellation of Xdefiant, including maintaining poor players, lack of strong identity, and not being able to become a viable competitor in the crowded free-to-play arena shooter market. Ubisoft realized that an increased selectivity in R&D investments was needed, and ultimately decided that the game would not generate enough revenue or player involvement to justify continued development.
It is believed that the game is struggling to attract players after the hype of the first launch, as it causes problems with the game’s core mechanics, progression systems and lack of memorable moments.
Despite that possibility, Xdefiant was unable to establish itself as a serious competitor of other established free-to-play shooter games. Also, the timing of the game’s release that comes just after the release of Modern Warfare 3 could have played a role in the struggle as it missed the opportunity to capitalize on Call of Duty’s complaints.
Conclusion
Xdefiant was a free 6V6 Arena shooter game developed by Ubisoft. The elements of the hero-based shooter were known for merging fast-paced gameplay.
The game had 8 million players in its first week, with over 1 million being released in the first 2.5 hours, and it was a successful release. However, the player base declined rapidly, and it struggled to maintain 20,000 concurrent players on all platforms. Despite its powerful launch, Xdefiant struggled to attract and maintain enough players to increase profitability, a key element of the free-to-play game.
The game faced challenges with players staying involved, resulting in issues such as slow content development, lack of progression, and lack of skill-based matchmaking, which contributed to player complaints.
Xdefiant was then cancelled due to a combination of factors including lack of profitability, lack of player retention and inability to compete effectively in the free-to-play FPS market. There was also an internal development issue and a desire to focus on other projects, such as new battle royale games.
