XDefiant’s days reportedly numbered as player count continues to dwindle

XDefiant’s nickname as the latest Call of Duty may have been greatly exaggerated, according to a new report.

Insider Gaming’s Tom Henderson says that XDefiant‘s outlook is bleak, with the game struggling to maintain 20,000 players across all of its platforms just three months since it finally launched after years of development turmoil. It’s been just six weeks since Ubisoft’s Q1 report when it touted XDefiant’s launch, and now, the lower player numbers has “created tension and anxiety” within the development team. Henderson sources believe “more layoffs are only a matter of time,” according to the report.

It’s an unfortunate twist of fate for XDefiant, which was anticipated by many for a long time after its initial reveal and several delays. But the game’s initial excitement has done little to keep the momentum of the game’s one million players on launch day going.

“Frustrations within the studio are aimed at the leadership, who have refused to take responsibility for the project’s shortcomings, which could have been avoided with a better studio culture,” Henderson said.

Season one of XDefiant launched in early July and added new weapons, maps, and a Rainbow Six-inspired faction, but has apparently done little to move the needle when it comes to ongoing interest in the FPS title—even among the game’s fans.

Sources told Henderson that if the game doesn’t improve its player count and revenue in season three, it’s expected Ubisoft will hit the team with more layoffs “within six months.” And with Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 set to launch during its season two, optimism isn’t high.

XDefiant’s season two is set to begin around the end of September, with BO6 coming out on Oct. 25 and likely taking most, if not all, of the attention of many FPS gamers for the foreseeable future.