Adobe is no longer interested in the development of a web design product, or the Adobe XD, that could compete with Figma. This decision was made after the proposed acquisition of Figma for $20 billion fell through due to regulatory pressure in December.
Adobe XD was already put on life support, as it was no longer available under Adobe’s Creative Cloud launcher. Following the announcement of acquiring Figma, a platform for designing interfaces for apps and websites, Adobe put its competing program, XD, in “maintenance mode”, which means that they stopped launching new features or selling it individually.
However, the $20 billion acquisition of Figma did not go through due to regulatory pressure, which left Adobe undecided on whether to revive XD or create another competitor. At present, there are no plans from Adobe to revive XD or create a new competitor. “We have no plans to further invest in it,” an Adobe spokesperson told Blomberg about the XD. The company is willing to consider partnerships with other companies in the same space, according to the spokesperson.
There is no word on if Adobe will continue to support Adobe XD for current customers, but it seems highly unlikely. “We are focused on the opportunity we have across imaging, photography, design, web, animation, and 3D, as well as Express and Firefly,” the spokesperson said.
After facing pressure from regulators in the UK and EU, Adobe and Figma announced that they are mutually terminating their merger agreement. Adobe will have to pay $1 billion in cash to Figma for terminating their $20 billion deal.