XDefiant misses one other launch window, Ubisoft says a brand new launch date might be introduced after an upcoming stress check, which additionally does not have a launch date

It would most likely come as no shock that Ubisoft’s free-to-play XDefiant is not going to be out by March 31—right this moment is April 1, in spite of everything, and it is nonetheless not right here. In a weekend replace on Twitter, Ubisoft acknowledged the sport’s newest miss however stated a quick server stress check is coming, after which an actual launch date will lastly be introduced.

XDefiant was initially purported to be out in summer season 2023, however following a seemingly-successful beta check in April of that 12 months, it was bumped to October 2023, after which delayed once more to an unspecified future date. In its February 2024 monetary report, Ubisoft slated XDefiant for launch within the fourth quarter of its 2023-24 fiscal 12 months, which ended March 31.

Every week earlier than that date arrived, rumors surfaced that the sport could be delayed but once more, and some days later Ubisoft made it official.

“The sport has all the time been community-first, with participant suggestions as a high precedence,” the event group stated within the replace. “Whereas we hoped to go stay by the tip of March, there are nonetheless some enhancements that we have to check earlier than that.”

Ubisoft stated it is “ending preparations” for a server stress check that may run for 12 hours on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Collection X|S. “After this quick check, we anticipated to have the ability to lock a launch date and begin sharing extra about thrilling content material XDefiant has to supply sooner or later!”

It has been a tough haul for XDefiant. Its announcement in July 2021 was met with widespread derision that was sturdy sufficient to drive it again to the drafting board for a branding overhaul. When it got here again for actual in April 2023, it appeared competent: “Principally enjoyable,” our huge shooter man Morgan Park declared, and “as boots-on-the-ground, 2010-era CoD because it will get outdoors the Activision bubble.”

The true downside XDefiant faces, although, is that it “is a superbly tremendous shooter in a time when ‘tremendous’ is a naked minimal.” It is not exhausting to think about that is why Ubisoft has continued engaged on it past its earlier deadlines: As a free-to-play recreation XDefiant may carve out success in a area dominated by $70 Name of Obligation video games, if Ubisoft can get it proper—however it may additionally simply as simply find yourself the subsequent Hyper Scape, deserted, forgotten, and really rapidly gone.