Modern Warfare 3 fans argue XDefiant missed its “ideal launch window”
Ubisoft & ActivisonWith no release date in sight for XDefiant, Modern Warfare 3 fans argue Ubisoft may have missed its window to get a leg up on Call of Duty.
Ubisoft originally planned on releasing XDefiant in late summer. However, we are approaching October, and the arena shooter still has no release date. On September 11, Ubisoft Executive Produce Mark Rubin confirmed the game encountered setbacks.
After detailing how the game submission process works, Rubin confirmed the game did not pass after being submitted in late July. The devs now hope to release XDefiant in early to mid-October. This news comes as a disappointment to FPS fans searching for a new experience.
And it doesn’t help that October is a loaded month for FPS fans, as Modern Warfare 3 beta weekends run from October 6-16. Rubin downplayed any competition between XDefiant and COD, claiming: “This game will not ‘kill’ Call of Duty. Only Call of Duty can kill Call of Duty.” But now, after a delay, some Modern Warfare 3 fans believe that XDefiant was actually the one to knock itself out of the running.
UbisoftDid Ubisoft miss chance to go toe-to-toe with Modern Warfare 3?
On September 29, ModernWarzone claimed: “XDefiant has missed its ideal launch window and chance to capitalize on a seemingly very down year for COD player satisfaction.”
Anticipation for XDefiant was arguably at an all-time high after a successful beta in April. The arena shooter dominated Twitch viewership, surpassing Call of Duty, and FaZe Jev claimed the game’s worst map is better than any COD map in years.
The XDefiant hype train appeared to stop in its tracks after Sledgehammer Games announced the return of MW2 2009 maps and fan-favorite legacy features in MW3.
So this led the Call of Duty insider to ask: “Do you think the game can still be successful if it releases close to the same time as the new Call of Duty?”
One user argued: “XDefiant should have released shortly after the beta dropped when the hype was high, and frustrations about MWII were at their most toxic.”
Some fans even fear the worst for XDefiant, as a second commenter claimed: “It will have a fanbase, but I doubt it’s going to be as big as it could have been. If the numbers aren’t to Ubisoft’s liking though, we all know what will happen.”
Before jumping to doom and gloom conclusions, we will get a better idea of the game’s longevity once it finally releases. We will provide an update when Ubisoft announces an XDefiant release date.
