Ubisoft's CoD-Like Shooter XDefiant Delayed After Failing Xbox And PlayStation Certification
A game's path to official release is not an easy one. It must undergo rigorous testing to try and find all the bugs that may make the game unplayable and find anything that would cause it not to pass first-party testing, such as from Xbox and PlayStation. This testing can take weeks to months, even when things go smoothly. Throw in a failure to pass from a first party, and that timeline gets longer. This is the predicament that Ubisoft has found itself in when giving fans an official launch date for XDefiant.
In an open letter from CEO Mark Rubin, he noted that the company has not taken the beaten path with XDefiant. It made the game available to millions of players who tested it out long before all the spit and polish had been applied. The game developer also said that doing so was not a marketing ploy but a real test of how the game was performing at that time.
So, where does this leave XDefiant in terms of release? Ubisoft says that at the end of July, it had begun the process and got back the Not Pass from Xbox and PlayStation in mid-August. If the game had passed the test, XDefiant would have launched at the end of August. However, as it did not, Ubisoft has spent the last 3-4 weeks fixing issues and preparing it for another submission. It says it is currently in the CM prep part of that process and hopes to submit to the first parties again in about two weeks. If XDefiant passes this go-round, it expects to release the game in mid-end September. If the game only receives a conditional pass, the company must do a Day 1 patch with a few final fixes to ensure compliance.
Ubisoft says it will release XDefiant "as soon as we can" and will continue to keep its fans updated. Mark Rubin closed his letter to fans by saying, "We really can't wait to go live and share our passion and love for XDefiant with everyone. Hope to see you all soon in game!"
