Ubisoft announced on Tuesday that it will be shutting down its free-to-play shooter. Servers will remain operational until June 3, 2025, at which point the game’s availability for download and purchase will cease, and player registration will also close. Despite the impending sunset, access to season three content will be granted to gamers at some point in the near future. Approximately 300 employees – 143 from the San Francisco office and 157 from Ubisoft’s Osaka and Sydney locations – are set to be let go. According to Marie-Sophie de Waubert, Chief Studios and Portfolio Officer at Ubisoft, the opposing half of the company’s manufacturing group will transition into new positions within the organization.
“Despite a promising start, the team’s unwavering dedication and the loyalty of their fan base, we’ve been unable to consistently attract and retain sufficient players to compete at the level we aspire to in the fiercely competitive free-to-play FPS market.” “In light of this, it’s clear that the sport is not yet delivering the desired results, making it difficult to justify further significant investment. As a result, we’re announcing our decision to discontinue support.”
Ubisoft announced that it is shutting down its San Francisco and Osaka development studios in their entirety, following a series of studio closures and significant staff reductions. According to Insider Gaming, a reduced workforce, dubbed a “skeleton crew”, is expected to remain in place until the entire operation is shut down.
Gamers who purchased the $69.99 Final Founder’s Pack will be eligible for a full, automated refund, according to a letter from CEO and game director Mark Rubin to the community. All transactions completed within the preceding 30-day period are eligible for a refund as well. According to an Ubisoft FAQ, the Founder’s Pack and Founder’s Pack Elite are explicitly exempt from refunds.
was launched on May 21 of this year, following an announcement of the venture in 2021. Upon its debut, the sport enjoyed a remarkable start: According to Insider Gaming, it quickly drew in over 1 million players within hours of its official release, signifying an impressive initial success. Although no official figures are available, Ubisoft’s CEO Yves Guillemot revealed during a September investor call that the game fell short of expectations. In October, Rubin announced on X that the decline in numbers was due primarily to “limited or no advertising and marketing” – a strategic approach aimed at positioning the sport for long-term success before intensifying promotional efforts to attract new and reactivated players. After dismissing the possibility of shutting down after its fourth season, citing a lack of concrete plans, he emphasized his commitment to moving forward with the project.
According to Ubisoft’s latest earnings report in late October, the company revealed a significant decline of nearly 20% in its gross sales, yet saw an uptick in engagement metrics for its games. Ubisoft revealed that over the past two years, it has reduced its workforce by more than 2,000 employees, a figure likely comprising both layoffs and voluntary resignations. As of September, Ubisoft’s workforce stands at approximately 18,666 employees, with the company reportedly poised to continue scaling back costs. While worker retention was reportedly strong, “near historic ranges,” Ubisoft’s performance underwhelmed, with the company remaining tight-lipped about the game’s flagging success. An analyst even had to prod Guillemont for insight into the title’s waning popularity. “‘XDefiant is running behind our initial projections,’ Guillemot said at the time, ‘but our games-as-a-service strategy remains fundamental to our approach.'” Despite initial skepticism, it appears to remain accurate: Alain de Wabert declared in a memo to staff on Tuesday that games-as-a-service remains “a cornerstone” of Ubisoft’s strategy, highlighting the success of titles such as Rainbow Six Siege, The Crew, and For Honor.
