Journalist Tom Henderson has shed light on the development challenges facing Ubisoft's team-based shooter XDefiant, based on information from company employees.
While Ubisoft has repeatedly set internal release dates for XDefiant, the game has been delayed each time. The latest planned release was slated for the end of February 2024, but this target was missed as well.
According to reports, executives at Ubisoft are pushing for XDefiant to closely mimic the Call of Duty series in nearly every aspect, rather than creating a unique experience. This "endless pursuit of Call of Duty" has become a source of constant delays, as developers are forced to remake actual builds of the shooter to align with the executives' vision, much to the developers' dissatisfaction.
Despite these difficulties, XDefiant is not in danger of being canceled. The game remains in active development, with a major public test recently conducted to assess the stability of connectivity, the in-game store, and social features.
Ubisoft plans to hold another significant test for XDefiant in the near future. However, the game currently lacks an official release date, not even an internal one. According to Henderson, XDefiant is at least a few months away from launch.
