Overview

• Ubisoft announced XDefiant’s shutdown in December 2024 and took its servers offline on June 3, 2025, ending access for all players.
• Executive Producer Mark Rubin revealed his decision to leave Ubisoft and the gaming industry shortly after the game’s closure.
• Rubin attributed the project’s collapse to crippling tech debt, including unsolvable netcode issues from an engine unsuited to the game’s needs.
• The team struggled with insufficient engineering resources and minimal marketing support, causing player numbers to plummet after an 8 million-user debut.
• Shutdown preparations in late 2024 led to the closure of two Ubisoft studios and layoffs affecting nearly 300 employees.