Ubisoft’s highly-anticipated free-to-play FPS, XDefiant, has faced a delay following a setback in its certification process for Microsoft’s Xbox and Sony’s PlayStation consoles.
Initially scheduled for a summer launch, the game’s release window seems more aligned with an October timeline. The delay stems not from gameplay concerns but rather “compliance bugs.” The executive producer, Mark Rubin, clarified that these bugs pertain to how the game integrates and functions on the respective consoles, such as adequately tracking trophies or updating the user’s friends list.
To shed light on the certification process, Rubin shared an in-depth update. Once Ubisoft believes the game is ready for submission, they send it to the console makers (Sony, Xbox) for review. This process checks that the game performs seamlessly in their ecosystems. Before this stage, Ubisoft conducts rigorous internal testing, ensuring they spot and resolve potential issues that might be flagged during submission.
Recently, Ubisoft initiated this submission process. Although they hoped for a smooth pass, feedback in mid-August was a “Not Pass.” This unforeseen challenge meant the game couldn’t be launched by the end of August as initially anticipated. The team spent weeks rectifying these compliance issues.
An exciting point Rubin highlighted is that Ubisoft’s approach with XDefiant has been different. Unlike traditional game launches with set dates, they have been transparent and have even incorporated player feedback into the game’s development.
In his statement, Rubin emphasized the company’s commitment to community engagement, mentioning new features inspired by player requests and their vision for XDefiant to belong to its players truly.
For the complete update from Mark Rubin, see the official post on Ubisoft’s website.
