XDefiant release date and delays, explained

Those anticipating the upcoming free-to-play Call of Duty competitor XDefiant may be saddened to know the game’s release date is currently in flux.

Despite a number of preview events and public betas, XDefiant doesn’t have a release window at this time. It all means eager fans might be waiting a bit longer than expected.

XDefiant release date

At this time, there is no official XDefiant release date. In fact, there is not even a release window for the game any longer. This may be a surprise since the free-to-play title originally had a window set for Summer 2023.

Following the initial release window, the game had its eyes set for October 2023. Unfortunately, that fell through, too, and XDefiant no longer has an official release date or window. As for when you might be able to see it finally released, it all comes down to the issues surrounding its delays.

XDefiant’s indefinite delay explained

As executive producer Mark Rubin noted on X (formerly Twitter), the game held a public test server session in September 2023 on PC. This came after the open beta testing and allowed players to see a glimpse of the full game in action.

Unfortunately, while most players had a great time with the experience, others did not. Part of this stemmed from some major issues surrounding sliding. As such, the team decided last minute to delay the game indefinitely until the issues were resolved.

Given this announcement came in October 2023, just before XDefiant‘s scheduled release date, it is possible the title may not be released until 2024, though this has not been confirmed. This is especially disappointing since the Ubisoft FPS title was already in the submission stage to be put on the various digital stores on console and PC.

The submission stage is when the platform holders confirm the game is ready to be made available to everyone. With the latest delay, it could be a while until players see it again. Given how little time is left in 2023, it seems likely the new XDefiant release date will likely be sometime in 2024.

This would make sense, though. Modern Warfare 3 launches on November 10, 2023, and it would make sense to avoid launching a brand-new IP alongside such a well-known competitor. The best chance for XDefiant might be a Spring 2024 release, just in time for players to get bored with MW3 and want something new.