Just over a month since XDefiant was finally released, the powers that be have big expectations for the free-to-play FPS.
In a new interview, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot spoke about a number of the company’s upcoming titles, such as Assassin’s Creed: Shadows and Star Wars Outlaws. But the Tom Clancy-inspired first-person shooter was also a hot topic.
When asked what his hopes were for XDefiant‘s future, Guillemot was candid in his (and presumably, the company and its shareholders) hope for it to be a successful, lucrative title just weeks after it dropped.
“Well, outside of it being continually updated, with different experiences and optimized gameplay, I’d love to see it as a serious esport,” he said. “But really, for a game like this, there’s no limit to its future. And we’ve got a fantastic team on it, who are listening to our players, and communicating with them, which is so crucial. We’ve started off strong, but there’s still a long way to go, and I’m excited for us to step up to the challenge.”
Outside of Rainbow Six Siege, Ubisoft hasn’t been able to capture much success when it comes to creating an audience in competitive gaming. The company’s hope now seems to be that XDefiant can use its experienced development team, which includes a number of former Call of Duty pros, to help it grow as an esport.
On the subject of games as a service (GaaS) in general like XDefiant, which is free to try out but offers seasonal content and cosmetic purchases to support it long-term, Guillemot expressed more hope for the FPS.
“We need to continue to listen closely to our players and make well-informed decisions on where to focus our efforts, because if you succeed at GaaS, you can succeed for the long-term,” he said. “Let’s look at XDefiant. There’s a lot of work to do, but it was able to attract 11 million players in a short time. And that number will increase with all the work done by the team to ensure season one brings a lot more to the existing experience. It’s about making the right choices and sticking to them.”
XDefiant’s season one officially begins next week on July 2, adding a new Rainbow Six-inspired faction, weapons, maps, and more.
