XDefiant is Suffering from a Helldivers 2 Problem With Its Player Base, But Some Think We’re To Blame

After hyping itself as a true Call of Duty “killer,” XDefiant enjoyed quite a successful launch back in May. Plenty of gamers were all in its unique brand of fast-paced gameplay, and it had plenty to give to the fans of the FPS genre.

As the dust has settled on the release, it has become clear that XDefiant is plagued by various issues that the developers need to resolve. However, the game suffers from one crucial problem, which even Helldivers 2 couldn’t escape, and this might lead to its downfall.

XDefiant Shares The Same Problem As Helldivers 2 and Ubisoft Needs to Watch Out

It’s a known fact that Helldivers 2 is one of the biggest success stories of the year. Arrowhead definitely made a title that left its mark in the live service genre. However, the game’s initial hype has died down, and it’s now struggling to maintain player numbers.

Many in the community believe that due to the initial reviews, gamers overhyped the title, and now they’re realizing that it lacks a soul. Over on Reddit, one player feels the same about the Ubisoft title and believes fans should’ve been careful before hyping the title so much.

The hypocrisy of the “lay back and relax FPS”
byu/JETLIFEMUZIK94 inXDefiant

It’s clear that XDefiant‘s initial concurrent player count across Xbox, PlayStation, and PC didn’t exactly translate to widespread critical acclaim in the end. The majority of the gamers accuse the title of being yet another rushed buggy mess by Ubisoft. The game isn’t “lay back and relax,” which players had called it initially, and has some fundamental flaws.

Sure, developers are most probably working to resolve some of the technical issues of the free-to-play shooter. However, if the studio doesn’t do that quickly, the interest in the title will start to wane, just like in Helldivers 2. This shooter has a lot of potential, and it would be a crime if it didn’t get the justice it deserves.

XDefiant Producers Says Gamers Can “Move On”

Well, if you can’t accept Ubisoft at its worst, then you don’t deserve it at its best. That’s what XDefiant‘s Executive Producer Mark Rubin told gamers who are unhappy and frustrated with the title’s endless cycle of bugs.

In an extremely surprising response on X/Twitter, Rubin talked about the difficulties of the engine the game is running on, as well as the challenges of being a brand-new shooter in a space that’s dominated by titans such as Apex Legends and Call of Duty.

Rushed out? No. What we have is an engine that has only ever been an MMO. And so all of the infrastructure for an FPS has had to be built up from the ground floor. Even CoD started on ID tech which was a shooter engine. Apex started on a shooter engine. But for us we are working…

— Mark Rubin (@PixelsofMark) July 5, 2024

It’s crucial to keep in mind that Rubin has previously served as an Executive Producer for Call of Duty and knows quite well that it takes a long while to get a shooter up and running, but also the work needed to ensure its success and viability.

While his response can be frustrating, he’s not wrong. The Call of Duty and Battlefield games we know and love today also had humble starts. Even Apex Legends was built on Titanfall‘s framework, and Fortnite was initially meant to be a co-op shooter.

Things can take time, and no franchise has the most glorious starts. Let’s hope Ubisoft doesn’t drop the ball by fumbling this incredible franchise and truly makes it the Call of Duty killer we’ve all been desperate for.

With that said, does this shooter need any other crucial addition? If so, let us know in the comments.