Toxic work environment and cancellation of PS4/Xbox One versions – Tom Henderson on the development of Ubisoft’s XDefiant,Insider Tom Henderson continues to talk about the troubled development of Ubisoft’s free-to-play shooter XDefiant , which is stuck in production hell. In a recent report, the journalist spoke about the toxic environment, overwork and a separate caste of managers.
Henderson writes that the key problem with XDefiant lies in the project managers, who refuse to listen to their subordinates and demand to copy the mechanics of Call of Duty. Inside Ubisoft, this group of managers is called “The Boys Club”.
One of the members of this “club” has no experience in design or experience working with people, and received directorial authority through personal friendships. This means that developers are given responsibilities beyond their original job responsibilities, forced to work overtime to complete assignments, and often shrugged when suggestions don’t align with the opinions of higher-ups. There have been many cases where people have cried, had breakdowns or stopped caring about their well-being due to the toxic environment that this very “club” creates.
Another problem with XDefiant , according to Henderson, is the network code. Game producer Mark Rubin (an Infinity Ward veteran) publicly raised this issue last fall , noting that a number of changes had been made to the netcode.
As Henderson writes, the shooter’s network code has been broken for many years, and management refuses to listen to employees who have repeatedly pointed out the problem.
There have been countless cases where different teams have advised the boys’ club to make certain decisions months or even years in advance to avoid problems later on.
The media notes that XDefiant’s network code is still far from perfect. For example, the game struggles to reach 100 players per server. Participants in recent closed tests told Henderson that the network code was poor – hits were not recorded.
Another reason for XDefiant’s delay is its copying of Call of Duty. Henderson emphasizes that Ubisoft San Francisco is deliberately copying only the Activision franchise and refuses to look towards other shooters.
Sources say that almost every creative decision for two years quickly ended with the same rhetorical question: “What would the Call of Duty developers do?”
They will want certain mechanics and ask the team to come back later when they have made the necessary changes. Even if the team makes these changes, the boys’ club will come up with something else, and the process will repeat for months. As a result, the feature will appear in the game or will be completely cut.
Toxic work environment and cancellation of PS4/Xbox One versions – Tom Henderson on the development of Ubisoft’s XDefiant,Henderson writes that a number of XDefiant mechanics were decided to be postponed and implemented in the seasons after release. For example, full progression with challenges, prestige, kill cam, kill streaks, theater mode, private matches, ratings, etc.
Ubisoft responded to Tom Henderson’s material with the following message:
We take complaints seriously and care about the well-being and inclusion of all our team members. Our proactive approach includes promoting standards of respect and civility, raising awareness and education, and effectively resolving conflicts.
We have also established robust reporting mechanisms, including an anonymous whistleblowing channel, and effective processes for responding to inappropriate behavior when it occurs.
Producer XDefiant denied the information that the shooter copies Call of Duty
According to Henderson, Ubisoft still believes that XDefiant can carve out a niche among free-to-play shooters, but when to expect release is still unclear. At the same time, the developers believe that seasonal content will not meet the deadline.
Henderson’s sources also say that the PS4 and Xbox One versions of XDefiant have been cancelled. Previously, they wanted to release them after release on the main platforms – PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.
At launch, the shareware shooter will receive 14 maps, and in the first year after release, another 12 locations will be added – one per month.