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Xbox has been making many decisions over the past few weeks that the public has deemed questionable and unnecessary, but the most recent one has everyone scratching their heads.
The latest incident involvesXDefiant, Ubisoft’s free-to-play, first-person arena shooter, and some questionable design decisions. While Ubisoft was originally getting all the flak for it, it turns out Microsoft’s gaming brand had everything to do with it.
Xbox Got Ubisoft to Remove a Gameplay Setting from Its Consoles
XDefiantis rapidly readying for release, with a recent server test session going very well from Ubisoft’s side. One feature that people were hoping to see, however, was the ability to turn on console-only crossplay.
Tom Henderson’s Damning Indictment of Ubisoft’s Toxic Work Culture During the Development of Free-to-Play Shooter XDefiant Will Make You Sick to Your Stomach
In a tweet from last year, the game’s executive producer, Mark Rubin, explicitly mentioned that there would be a way to switch between no crossplay, console-only, or all. In the preload version of the game, however, some players weren’t able to find any crossplay options.
One X/Twitter user questioned Rubin, expressing disappointment while claiming his statement was a lie.
The option is there on every platform but Xbox because they want you to use the built in crossplay setting on the Xbox.
— Mark Rubin (@PixelsofMark)July 21, 2025
Rubin promptly stepped in to clarify something; there were options for crossplay that PS5 users could see, but Xbox consoles didn’t have them. Why? Supposedly, the gaming brand wants you to use the built-in crossplay settings on the console.
One user replied to his tweet, confused, asking if that meant people on Xbox and PC were forced to play together. Rubin stated that that wasn’t the case; it simply meant that you had to go into the console’s settings to turn off crossplay.
XDefiant is Already Suffering from Call of Duty’s Biggest Problem
This isn’t the only game that has a similar setup for crossplay settings. It was removed fromCall of Dutyfor the brand’s consoles as well, and people assumed it was due to the Sony-Call of Dutybrand deal.
People were blaming the Sony/Call of Duty deal for this lol
![[REDACTED] Review (PS5) – Innovation Caught the Escape Pod Faster Than We Did](https://i2.wp.com/fwmedia.fandomwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/05095712/redacted-review-768x432.jpg)
— CharlieIntel (@charlieINTEL)June 01, 2025
Many are upset at this distinction, and looking at their reasoning, this could end up isolating a ton of Xbox players from their kind.
Restricting Cross-Play Settings to a Console Isn’t Very Effective
One player mentioned howBungie’s action MMO,Destiny 2, also has the same setup with its crossplay settings.
This has become a major problem for players; since it’s within the console’s settings, many people are unaware they can turn it off, or simply leave it on.
Thanks to this, they’re forced on crossplay servers, while those that were in the know and turned it off are much fewer in number and occupy low-populated servers.
Those were Xbox’s rules to us. We have to use their system. But our matchmaking does prefer platform so you may not have to wait long for a match if you turn off crossplay. Give it a try. Also, a future feature we are adding will be console-only crossplay. PS5 and Xbox together.
— Mark Rubin (@PixelsofMark)June 13, 2025
One user expressed this problem directly to Rubin, who revealed that Xbox itself had given the order to the game’s team. He reassured the player that matchmaking prefers platforms, so matches won’t take long to get even if crossplay is off.
Additionally, the team is working on a console-only crossplay feature, as promised earlier. Many players were happy to hear this.
What are your thoughts on the crossplay debate going on? Let us know in the comments below!
Vibha Hegde
Critic/Gaming Writer
Articles Published :594
Vibha is an avid gamer that has been writing about video games for several years. When they’re not complaining about the lack of a Bloodborne sequel or brushing up on the Yokoverse lore, Vibha is busy watching 3-hour video essays on horror games they’re too scared to play themselves.
