Fan Project Aims to Bring XDefiant Back With Private Server

Ubisoft's free-to-play shooter XDefiant could soon be playable again through an unofficial fan project. The game experienced an official server shutdown on June 3, 2025, which ended official matchmaking. Despite the closure and the game's previous struggles with player retention, a small development team has started working on a private server to revive the shooter.

A member of the development team named redcommander shared details on the XDefiant subreddit regarding the fan-led revival project, known as Project Rogue. The team stated that they have spent the past few months reverse engineering and replicating multiple network protocols used in the game. While a significant amount of development work remains, the team shared a first look at the project and invited interested players to follow progress updates on a dedicated Discord server.

The project includes strict disclaimers regarding its unofficial status. To protect the project legally, the team confirmed they will not share copyrighted materials and expect participants to have owned XDefiant prior to playing. Actual gameplay is not yet possible, and the developers have not provided an estimated time of arrival for completion.

While an official return for XDefiant remains off the table, the fan initiative offers a potential avenue for players who miss the shooter. Reports note that the effort is unlikely to spark a massive mainstream revival for the title, given that the live game faced declining player numbers and failed to meet expectations. Even so, the private server project gives former players a way to track the status of the game and potentially play again in the future, assuming Ubisoft does not intervene.