Ubisoft’s XDefiant may not have an official release date yet, but it could be very close to release. In a new blog post, executive producer Mark Rubin has pulled back the curtain on what goes into a game’s release, explaining exactly where XDefiant is at in that process.
The blog goes into some detail on the submission process required to get games onto platforms like PlayStation or Xbox, with Rubin warning that “sometimes full transparency is like drinking from a firehose so hope you all are thirsty!”
Put simply, developers are required to submit a copy of their game to parties like Xbox and Sony, so their teams can check that the game is working properly from a platform perspective. After a game gets the green light through this process, it generally takes another week or two to get it ready for release. While XDefiant was submitted through this process in the end of July, it initially didn’t pass compliance.
Now Ubisoft is ready to submit the game again, leaving two possible outcomes. If the game passes without issue, XDefiant could release in mid to late September. It’s possible that it could get a conditional pass, however, which would mean XDefiant is cleared for release only if it comes with a day one patch to clean up any lingering issues. If this is the case, its release will be pushed back to early or mid October.
Rubin explains that most games tend to decide on a release date with plenty of wiggle room to allow for this process, but he didn’t want to take that path with XDefiant. “Like a lot of things with this game, we have not chosen the typical route,” Rubin explains. “So, when it comes to when we will release the real answer is ‘as soon as we can.’ And we will continue to update you with more info when we have it.”
XDefiant is an upcoming free-to-play shooter from Ubisoft that includes a number of its existing game franchises in the form of factions. The game has been compared to Call of Duty, with executive producer Mark Rubin known for his previous work on the CoD franchise. XDefiant will be released on PC, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, and PlayStation 4.
The products discussed here were independently chosen by our editors.
GameSpot may get a share of the revenue if you buy anything featured on our site.
