Breakdown
- Ubisoft’s free-to-play FPS XDefiant is a rapid success
- The new shooter already had 1 million unique players just two hours after launch
- This is the fastest growth ever for a Ubisoft game
Ubisoft’s long-delayed first-person shooter, XDefiant, has shattered company records. Just two and a half hours after launch, the new free-to-play shooter attracted 1 million unique players, setting a huge record for the French mega-publisher.
As a free alternative to the traditional Call of Duty deathmatch, XDefiant has carved out a spot in a crowded market. With a unique meta based around the game’s best guns, players are diving into the game’s hardcore combat system with excitement.
According to Insider Gaming, XDefiant reached the one million player mark just hours after launch. This rapid growth caused numerous issues for the fanbase, including server outages and errors trapping players on the main menu.
Despite these issues, XDefiant is proving to be a success for Ubisoft. However, it’s unclear how many free players are engaging with the game’s microtransactions and its expensive Founder’s Edition pack.
XDefiant launched with a wide array of maps, guns, and abilities for its various classes. However, it remains to be seen if this content will sustain the game post-launch. While the live service game seems to have more momentum than Ubisoft’s Skull and Bones, its long-term success is uncertain.
With Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 on the horizon following a teaser trailer and logo reveal, Activision and Treyarch are preparing to unveil the next CoD at an Xbox Games Showcase.
XDefiant is currently available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, and PC. The game isn’t available on the last-gen Xbox One and PlayStation 4, but a port to these older consoles is reportedly in the works.