Call of Duty Competitor XDefiant Delayed Indefinitely

XDefiant's crawl to release has been a slow one plagued most recently by failed certifications that pushed back the console release plans, and now, it seems the game's facing another setback. The XDefiant team said this week that it's decided to delay the preseason of XDefiant with no new release date nor window set for the game which essentially makes its delay indefinite for the time being. The statement about the delay continued to say that the team working on the game will use this extra time to address issues and "inconsistencies in the game experience."

The indefinite delay of the game isn't too surprising if you've been keeping up with its road to launch and the missed or shaky release windows along the way, but the delay couldn't have come at a worse time for the game considering how Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is set to be released next month. XDefiant originally attracted criticism for including Tom Clancy in the game's name despite not really playing like any of the other Tom Clancy games at all, though it regained trust after dropping that and showcasing some impressive gameplay to the point that people were thinking it could go up against Call of Duty itself. It still could, but not launching alongside or near Modern Warfare 3 won't make that daunting task any easier.

XDefiant Delayed, Statement Released

The XDefiant team addressed the delay in the customary image-on-text announcement shared on social media Tuesday morning. The game's been in testing off and on, and from that feedback, the developers identified the "inconsistencies."

"Thank you to everyone who participated in our recent Public Test Session and continues to stand alongside us as we build XDefiant," the announcement said. The PTS once again showed us your appreciation for our fast-paced gunplay, uniquely crafted maps, objective-driven modes, and iconic Faction roster.

"But it also surfaced some inconsistencies in the game experience that we need to address prior to launching our Preseason. So we've made the hard decision to delay the preseason of XDefiant."

https://x.com/PlayXDefiant/status/1711472235095925059?s=20The statement wrapped up by reaffirming hopes that the new game will be a "best-in-class arcade shooter" which again positions itself as a Call of Duty competitor. For context, Call of Duty games generally fluctuate between feeling more or less arcade-like depending on whether it's been Sledgehammer Games or Infinity Ward developing the multiplayer experience in the past, but overall, Call of Duty games in general have much more of an arcade-y feel compared to other games like the Battlefield series and stricter military sims.

Responses to yet another XDefiant delay have been mixed but are largely negative. In replies to the tweet, more vocal naysayers called for the game's cancellation and said that Ubisoft had missed its window with XDefiant pushed back and Modern Warfare 3 looming. Others were more supporting saying to take the time needed to make the experience what it should be.