Mark Rubin Bids Farewell to Game Development
Mark Rubin, known for his role in the Call of Duty series, announces he is stepping away from the gaming industry following the shutdown of XDefiant.
Summary
- Mark Rubin, former XDefiant executive producer, has announced his retirement from the gaming industry.
- The game XDefiant was discontinued just one year after its launch.
- Rubin was a recognized figure in the FPS genre, particularly for his contributions to the Call of Duty franchise.
Former XDefiant executive producer Mark Rubin has declared that he will permanently exit the video game development world following the closure of the first-person shooter this past week. He has gained significant recognition within the gaming community due to his extensive work on various Call of Duty titles, but he has now stated that fans should not expect to see him involved in new game projects after Ubisoft decided to terminate XDefiant just a year post-release.
Rubin transitioned to Ubisoft in 2019 after serving as an executive producer at Infinity Ward, where he contributed to defining Call of Duty titles, including the original Modern Warfare and its sequel released in 2009. The free-to-play shooter quickly earned the nickname “Call of Duty killer” from fans for its fast-paced gameplay and thoughtful map design, devoid of skill-based matchmaking. However, the game was discontinued in June 2025, following a less than successful launch period.
Although the game’s launch in May 2024 was met with some initial enthusiasm, Ubisoft’s decision to cease operations was a disappointment to both players and developers alike. The team behind XDefiant was disbanded last year, and in a detailed Twitter message, Rubin indicated that he intends to focus on family time moving forward. “Regrettably, you won’t hear from me regarding any upcoming games,” Rubin mentioned.
Despite the imminent shutdown of XDefiant, the studio had launched its Season 3 update in December 2024, packed with new maps and additional content, but Rubin indicated that these efforts were insufficient to save the title. He described his passion for game development and expressed hope that someone would eventually carry on the mission to create player-friendly games in the future.
