The Battle for FPS Supremacy: XDefiant vs. Call of Duty in October?

After breaking months of silence, Mark Rubin, the executive producer of the much-anticipated first-person shooter XDefiant, finally gave an update. The game, which missed its "late summer" release target, encountered unexpected setbacks during its submission for approval. Rubin explained that the Candidate Master (CM) version of XDefiant initially did not pass evaluations from major game distributors like Ubisoft, Sony, and Microsoft. This led the team into several weeks of revising the game to meet compliance standards.

The Rescheduling Dilemma

Rubin laid out the potential timelines, mentioning that if the next submission passes without issues, gamers could see a late September release. However, if the game only gets a conditional pass, necessitating a Day One patch for compliance, the release could be pushed back to early or mid-October. "We're now in the Candidate Master preparation stage, and we're optimistic about the resubmission," Rubin added.

Facing Off with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

The revised release frame sets up an interesting scenario. If XDefiant gets delayed until October, it will find itself in direct competition with the beta release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. This could set the stage for an intriguing battle between the seasoned veteran, Call of Duty, and the new entrant, XDefiant, which aims to capture the essence and fan base of older Call of Duty titles.

While the delay will undoubtedly disappoint fans eager for a "late summer" launch, Rubin emphasized the team's commitment to quality over speed. "We're charting a non-traditional course, putting our still-in-development game in the hands of millions for actual testing, not just promotional purposes," Rubin said. 

In a landscape increasingly defined by tight schedules and quick releases, XDefiant's choice to prioritize a polished final product over a rapid launch could set a new precedent in the gaming industry. Regardless of the outcome, the coming months promise to be a thrilling period for first-person shooter aficionados.