XDefiant servers run into big matchmaking problems on launch day

XDefiant, Ubisoft’s free-to-play arena shooter, launched on Tuesday for PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X, and almost immediately ran into matchmaking troubles, a Ubisoft producer confirmed via X.

Executive producer Mark Rubin said “Matchmaking servers go boom!” quickly adding his development team was working on fixing the problem. The game’s official X account likewise said matchmaking was having trouble, with players responding in the thread with screenshots of empty lobbies and players “unable to find match.”

Matchmaking servers go boom! We are working on it. pic.twitter.com/8gjk8dASzG

— Mark Rubin (@PixelsofMark) May 21, 2024

As of 5 p.m. EDT on Tuesday the XDefiant account still had not confirmed that a fix had been made, though it did say some progress had been made. An XDefiant news site, meanwhile, started giving out battle passes in the game to X followers while everyone waited on a fix.

It’s an especially bad look for a game that is multiplayer-only and, obviously, depends on matchmaking in order to draw and maintain an audience.

What is XDefiant?

XDefiant is a 6v6 shooter whose characters are drawn from across Ubisoft’s many intellectual properties. It was first due to launch in October 2023, but the publisher then delayed it indefinitely before saying it expected to launch it in March. That got delayed again until May 21.

The game makes references to the Ghost Recon, Watch Dogs, and Tom Clancy’s The Division series, as well as Far Cry 6, the most recent game in that series (launching in 2022). Watch Dogs, however, is rumored to be on ice after a dismal sales performance from Watch Dogs: Legion in 2021, and The Division: Heartland, another free-to-play shooter announced in 2020, was cancelled outright.

Ubisoft said it shut down Heartland in order to focus more resources on XDefiant; Tom Clancy’s The Division 3, announced in September 2023, is still in development.

For more on XDefiant, see our comprehensive guide containing everything we know about the game.

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