The screenshots are out, and they confirm everyone’s worst fears about Ubisoft’s next competitive shooter. Project Scout, the sci-fi FPS that leaked on November 11, 2025, now has visual evidence backing up insider claims, and it looks like exactly what you’d expect from a company that learned nothing from XDefiant’s catastrophic failure just five months ago. Leaked by well-known Rainbow Six Siege insider Shiiny77 and screenshot leaker 6leaksgg, these early images show a game built on Unreal Engine 5 with large-scale multiplayer, full crossplay support, and all the warning signs of another Ubisoft live-service disaster waiting to happen.
The timing couldn’t be more absurd. XDefiant shut down permanently on June 3, 2025, after reaching 11 million players in its first month but failing to retain them beyond the initial hype. The closure cost Ubisoft three studio closures and 277 jobs. Hyper Scape before that launched in 2020 and died in 2022. Ubisoft has zero credibility in the competitive multiplayer space, yet here they are with Project Scout, looking suspiciously like they’re about to burn another pile of money chasing Apex Legends and Destiny 2’s success without understanding why those games actually work.
- Breaking Down the Loading Screen Screenshot
- The Gameplay Screenshot Reveals Everything
- The Compass and Minimap Tell a Story
- What the Insider Actually Said About Gameplay
- The Apex Legends Connection Keeps Getting Stronger
- Unreal Engine 5 – The Only Smart Decision
- Why This Feels Like Deja Vu All Over Again
- What Needs to Happen for Success
- FAQs
- Conclusion
Breaking Down the Loading Screen Screenshot
The first leaked image shows what appears to be a loading or title screen for Project Scout. The words Project Scout are prominently displayed over a vast futuristic landscape featuring a tall spire rising in the distance, neon-lit skies that scream generic sci-fi aesthetic, and robotic machinery positioned in the foreground. A mechanical character stands prominently, suggesting this might be one of the playable heroes or classes in the game.
What’s particularly revealing is the debug text visible on screen mentioning keep loading screen up for additional 2.00 seconds to allow texture streaming. This confirms the game is running on Unreal Engine 5, which uses advanced texture streaming technology to handle high-quality assets. The tagline at the bottom reads All risk, all reward, which is possibly the most generic competitive shooter marketing phrase you could slap on a game in 2025. It’s the kind of meaningless hype language that gets thrown around in every hero shooter pitch meeting before the game inevitably launches to mixed reviews and dies within a year.
The Aesthetic Problem Nobody Is Talking About
The visual style shown in this loading screen is a problem. It looks like every other sci-fi shooter from the past five years. The neon lights, the futuristic architecture, the mechanical characters, all of it feels like it was designed by committee after analyzing what’s popular rather than creating something with a distinct identity. Compare this to Apex Legends’ grounded yet vibrant sci-fi world, Overwatch 2’s stylized cartoon aesthetic, or Valorant’s clean tactical design. Project Scout looks forgettable before anyone’s even played it.
The Gameplay Screenshot Reveals Everything
The second leaked image is far more informative. It shows an early first-person gameplay view with several UI elements that tell us exactly what kind of game Project Scout is trying to be. A weapon called The Bulldog is visible in the player’s hands, suggesting named weapons with potentially unique characteristics rather than generic guns. Ability icons are displayed on the interface, confirming this is a hero shooter with character-specific powers like Apex Legends, Overwatch, or Valorant.
The most interesting element is the purple Starlight Energy meter prominently featured in the UI. This appears to be some kind of resource system, possibly for activating ultimate abilities, powering special equipment, or enabling movement mechanics. The presence of weapon slots indicates players can carry multiple guns and switch between them, standard for battle royale or team-based shooters. A crew level indicator suggests squad-based progression, where your team collectively earns experience or unlocks benefits together rather than individual advancement.
The environment shown in this screenshot is clearly greybox or early prototyping phase. You can see colorful placeholder structures with basic lighting and minimal texture detail. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as many games look rough during early development. However, the UI design already looks fairly polished, suggesting Ubisoft has specific ideas about how information will be presented to players even if the actual game world is still being built out.
The Compass and Minimap Tell a Story
Both a compass at the top of the screen and a minimap in the corner appear in the gameplay screenshot. This combination is standard for large-scale open-world shooters or battle royale games where spatial awareness and navigation are critical. The compass likely shows directional markers for objectives, teammates, or points of interest, while the minimap provides tactical information about your immediate surroundings.
This UI setup strongly suggests Project Scout is going for that Apex Legends-inspired battle royale or large-scale team shooter format that earlier reports claimed. You need compasses and minimaps when maps are big enough that players can get disoriented. Smaller arena shooters like Valorant or Counter-Strike 2 don’t require this level of navigational assistance because the maps are compact and memorizable. The fact that Project Scout includes both tools points toward open environments with dynamic objectives rather than fixed arena combat.
What the Insider Actually Said About Gameplay
Here’s where it gets concerning. Shiiny77, the insider who leaked Project Scout’s existence and shared details, claimed they’ve actually seen gameplay footage beyond these screenshots. Their assessment was brutally honest. They described the game as very sci-fi looking, which tracks with what we can see in the images. More worrying, they explicitly stated I don’t think people will like it. That’s not the kind of thing you say about a game that’s impressing people internally.
When insiders who have access to early builds warn that audiences won’t respond well, that’s usually accurate. These are people who’ve seen multiple games in development and understand what resonates with players versus what falls flat. The fact that Shiiny77 felt compelled to temper expectations before anyone even knows the game exists officially suggests the gameplay they witnessed had significant problems or lacked the hook needed to stand out in the crowded competitive shooter market.
The Apex Legends Connection Keeps Getting Stronger
Earlier reports from Insider Gaming’s Tom Henderson claimed Project Scout is heavily inspired by Apex Legends to the point where it features very similar characters including spins on Pathfinder, Wraith, Lifeline, and other iconic Apex heroes. One source literally said the goal is to capitalize on Apex’s declining player count and Ubisoft thinking there’s room in the market for another hero battle royale.
The problem with this strategy is fundamental. Apex Legends isn’t declining because the game concept is flawed. It’s declining because EA hasn’t properly supported it and players are tired of neglect, not the core gameplay. Releasing a knockoff that copies Apex’s character archetypes and mechanics won’t pull those frustrated players to your game. They’ll either stick with Apex hoping for improvements, move to completely different games, or just be skeptical of any Apex-like competitor that isn’t innovating beyond the formula.
Unreal Engine 5 – The Only Smart Decision
One genuinely good choice Ubisoft made with Project Scout is building it on Unreal Engine 5 instead of their own proprietary engines like Snowdrop or Anvil. UE5 is the industry standard for modern game development, offering advanced graphics capabilities, robust multiplayer networking tools, and a massive ecosystem of plugins and community support that can accelerate development.
However, choosing a good engine doesn’t fix fundamental design problems. XDefiant ran on the Snowdrop engine, which powered beautiful games like Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora and The Division 2. The engine wasn’t why XDefiant failed. It failed because the core gameplay loop didn’t retain players, the monetization felt exploitative, and Ubisoft didn’t commit to long-term support once player numbers dropped. Unreal Engine 5 won’t save Project Scout if the game design, live-service model, and corporate commitment aren’t there.
Why This Feels Like Deja Vu All Over Again
Everything about Project Scout feels painfully familiar. Ubisoft chases a successful game format years after the market saturated. They build something that looks competent on paper but lacks a unique identity. Initial player numbers are decent because Ubisoft’s marketing machine can generate hype, but retention collapses within months. The company pulls back support citing underperformance, leading to a death spiral where remaining players leave because the developer has given up.
This exact pattern played out with Hyper Scape chasing Fortnite and Apex, then XDefiant trying to compete with Call of Duty and Valorant. Now Project Scout appears to be targeting the Apex Legends and Destiny 2 audience with sci-fi hero shooter mechanics. The screenshots show a game that could work if Ubisoft commits to five years of consistent updates, community engagement, and willingness to lose money building an audience. But Ubisoft’s track record proves they won’t do that.
What Needs to Happen for Success
If Project Scout has any chance of avoiding XDefiant’s fate, Ubisoft needs to fundamentally change how they approach live-service games. First, the game needs an identity beyond being Apex Legends with a different art style. What does Project Scout offer that no other competitive shooter provides? The screenshots don’t answer that question. Second, Ubisoft must commit to minimum three-year support regardless of initial player counts. Building a sustainable player base takes time, and pulling the plug after six months guarantees failure.
Third, the monetization has to be fair and transparent. XDefiant’s aggressive season pass and cosmetic pricing alienated players early. Fourth, the technical execution must be flawless at launch. Competitive shooter players have zero tolerance for netcode issues, hit registration problems, or matchmaking failures when polished alternatives exist. Finally, Ubisoft needs realistic expectations. Not every game becomes Fortnite or Apex. Building a smaller but dedicated community of 50,000-100,000 concurrent players is a success if the game is sustainable.
FAQs
What is Project Scout?
Project Scout is the codename for an unannounced sci-fi competitive first-person shooter reportedly in development at Ubisoft. Leaked screenshots from November 11, 2025, show an early-stage game built on Unreal Engine 5 featuring hero-based abilities, large-scale multiplayer, and full crossplay support across platforms.
Who leaked the Project Scout screenshots?
The initial leak came from Shiiny77, a well-known Rainbow Six Siege and XDefiant insider on November 11, 2025. Screenshots were subsequently shared by another leaker called 6leaksgg, showing both a loading screen and early gameplay footage with UI elements visible.
What do the leaked screenshots show?
The first screenshot shows a loading screen with Project Scout displayed over a futuristic sci-fi landscape with debug text mentioning Unreal Engine 5 texture streaming. The second screenshot shows first-person gameplay with a weapon called The Bulldog, ability icons, a purple Starlight Energy meter, weapon slots, crew level indicators, compass, and minimap in greybox environment.
Is Project Scout confirmed by Ubisoft?
No, Ubisoft has not made any official announcement about Project Scout. All information comes from leaked screenshots and insider reports from November 2025. The project appears to be in early development based on the placeholder graphics and greybox environments visible in leaked images.
What did insiders say about Project Scout’s gameplay?
Shiiny77, who has seen actual gameplay footage, described it as very sci-fi looking but warned I don’t think people will like it. This cautionary statement from a credible insider suggests the gameplay may have significant issues or lack the hook needed to compete in the crowded shooter market.
Is Project Scout related to XDefiant?
Not directly, but Project Scout represents Ubisoft’s continued pursuit of competitive multiplayer shooter success after XDefiant’s spectacular failure. XDefiant shut down on June 3, 2025, just five months before Project Scout leaked, making this new project feel like Ubisoft learned nothing from that disaster.
When will Project Scout be released?
No release date has been announced, and the project hasn’t been officially confirmed by Ubisoft. Based on the early-stage greybox environments visible in leaked screenshots, the game is likely years away from release if it ever makes it that far given Ubisoft’s history of canceling unannounced projects.
What is the Starlight Energy meter shown in the gameplay screenshot?
The purple Starlight Energy meter appears to be some kind of resource system for activating abilities, powering equipment, or enabling special mechanics. It’s similar to ultimate charge meters in games like Overwatch or ability energy systems in Apex Legends, suggesting hero-based gameplay with character-specific powers.
Conclusion
The leaked Project Scout screenshots tell a story Ubisoft doesn’t want anyone to hear yet. This is a company that just buried XDefiant after losing hundreds of millions of dollars and 277 jobs, now working on another competitive shooter that looks suspiciously like the same mistakes packaged in a different sci-fi wrapper. The loading screen shows generic futuristic aesthetics that could belong to any game from the past five years. The gameplay screenshot reveals hero shooter mechanics with abilities, resource management, and large-scale multiplayer features that directly compete with established giants like Apex Legends and Destiny 2. Most damning is the insider warning that people won’t like what they’ve seen, suggesting the gameplay footage fails to impress even those with access to early builds. Ubisoft chose Unreal Engine 5, which is smart, but good technology can’t fix bad game design or corporate unwillingness to support live-service games through their difficult early years. Until Ubisoft proves they can sustain a competitive multiplayer game for more than 18 months without shutting it down when initial player counts drop, Project Scout deserves nothing but skepticism. These screenshots might show a game in development, but they also show a company that refuses to learn from catastrophic recent failures.