Tom Clancy’s Elite Squadhas not had the smoothest of rides. After a fairly uneventful reveal at E3 2019, its troubles came to a head last August upon launch, which featured a controversial opening cinematic depictingElite Squad’svillains - a terrorist organization named UMBRA - boasting a logo identical to the ‘raised fist’ commonly associated with civil rights activist movements like Black Lives Matter. The fallout from Ubisoft’s insensitive creative choice, grouped with the game’s poor critical reception, likely contributed to the company’s decision toshutElite Squaddown after only a year. However, it doesn’t appear Ubisoft is quite ready to throw in the towel when it comes to the concept of a Clancy-verse crossover thanks toTom Clancy’s XDefiant.
The upcomingXDefiantstands to benefit some fromElite Squad’srelegation to the wayside. But the quickness with whichUbisoftdropped the mobile title compared to the company’s extensive work on its other live service games also sets expectations for whatXDefianthas to achieve if it wishes to survive for longer thanElite Squad.
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Despite being different titles,Elite SquadandXDefiantare cut from a similar cloth; each brings the elements of the various Tom Clancy-branded franchises into one game. That said, allowing these two games to coexist strips either title of the chance to deem itself “the definitiveTom Clancycrossover experience.” However, now thatElite Squadis out of the picture,XDefiantwon’t have to worry about sharing the spotlight with the mobile title, which should aid its reputation in more ways than one.
Thecontroversy surroundingElite Squadis pretty damaging stuff. From the demonization of imagery historically used by oppressed peoples in the pursuit of equal rights to the game’s premise depicting a government hit-squad assigned to quell a protest movement by force, it’s hard to imagine any title desiring to share a distinction with it. While there’s no confirmation thatElite Squad’sshutdown is related to maintainingXDefiant’sreputation ahead of its release, it’s certainly easy to see how the latter benefits from avoiding comparisons.
Elite Squadlaunched on mobile devices in August 2020, and it will cease service come this October. While the game was evidently not a success, its swift shuttering is alarming, especially for a company that seemingly specializes in creatinglive-service games. Ubisoft is no stranger to making the best out of bad launches and has seen success on multiple occasions while doing so. BothRainbow Six SiegeandThe Divisionhad less-than-spectacular starts, but nowadays they are two of Ubisoft’s flagship multiplayer titles.
But it’s important to note thatSiegeandThe Divisionare games that either reviewed or sold well even before Ubisoft began generously supporting each of them. Inversely,Elite Squadwas panned by critics and fans alike, and it’s probably not a stretch to assume its microtransaction sales were lackluster given the game is on its deathbed after only a year. Based on the company’s history, it looks like a successful Ubisoft live-service title can only be one of two things: A well-received game that’s worth further monetizing, or a high-selling game that’s worth improving.
XDefiant’sreveal trailerdoesn’t make a strong case for the game to fit into either category. It looks like a clone ofCall of Dutyfor some,while the cosmetics donned by characters (which are undoubtedly purchasable microtransactions) look bland, lacking in identity - two qualities that cosmetic microtransactions, the lifeblood of a free-to-play game, should never be.
The shuttering ofElite Squadmay helpXDefiantmaintain a safe, brand-friendly image, but it also spells out the consequences forUbisoft gamesthat fail to either impress critics or rake in the dough. To survive, the game will either have to shock the world with innovative FPS gameplay, or be a cash cow for Ubisoft thanks to its microtransactions. But right now, it looks like it might be heading down a similar road asElite Squad, just with less controversy.
Tom Clancy’s XDefiantbegins its first PC closed beta test on June 25, 2025. The game is in development for Luna, PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
