XDefiant release date delayed – executive producer explains certification issues

12 September 2023 , 12:00

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XDefiant is arriving later than expected due to failing to pass certification on consoles (Image: Ubisoft)

XDefiant executive producer Mark Rubin has announced that the game will be arriving later than the expected Summer 2023 release window due to issues in the certification process on console.

We haven't heard much about XDefiant since the open beta ended back in June, but considering the game was pegged for a summer release, we expected to hear good news in the near future. Sadly, Ubisoft has instead announced that XDefiant's release date has been pushed back due to the game not passing certification from PlayStation and Xbox at the end of July.

XDefiant Executive Producer Mark Rubin announced this via a blog post on the XDefiant website, saying "At the end of July, we started this process, and we got our first results back by mid-August which was a Not Pass. We realized then that we had more work related to compliance than we had anticipated.". He then said that had the game passed it would have been released in August.

He goes on to say that if the next submission to Sony and Microsoft passes then the game will be ready for a "mid-to-end of September release". But he also mentions this could be pushed further saying "There is however a likely scenario where we get a conditional Pass meaning we have to do a Day 1 patch with some final fixes to ensure compliance. If we do need to do a Day 1 patch, then that pushes our date out to early/mid-October".

While this delay may be disappointing to players, considering the XDefiant server issues that plagued the last beta, it's probably best that everything gets ironed out before the game fully releases.

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If XDefiant does indeed have to get pushed back to October it has a hell of a fight ahead of it. Assassin's Creed Mirage, Lords of the Fallen, Super Mario Bros Wonder, Marvel's Spider-Man 2, and Alan Wake 2 are all blockbuster titles vying for your attention this October, so adding one more to the pile is going to be risky.

Plus it's now going to be releasing even closer to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 which comes out on Friday, November 10. Considering part of the reason XDefiant blew up in the first place is due to the community's displeasure with Modern Warfare 2, Ubisoft runs the risk of getting eclipsed by the new entry – assuming Activision don't drop the ball again.

Scott McCrae