Checking out XDefiant - Preview
Way back in July of 2021, Ubisoft announced that new shooter within the world of Tom Clancy would be coming, bringing together multiple Tom Clancy worlds, sort of like how Splinter Cell crossed into Ghost Recon. But in March 2022, the Tom Clancy name was dropped from the game, but the characters remained, though they started bringing other series.
Now the game is in the final stretch of development, with a closed beta taking place right now, but we had the chance to check out the game and learn more about it. So lets breakdown what this game is all about.
What is XDefiant?
XDefiant is a free-to-play, first person shooter, that has two teams of players enter an arena and shoot each other, like classic shooter games from the early 2000s.
What are the teams?
The teams are called Factions in the game, with each being pulled from a different Ubisoft game. The five factions at launch are as follows:
Libertad – Far Cry 6
Phantoms – Ghost Recon
Echelon – Splinter Cell
Cleaners – The Division
DedSec – Watch_Dogs – This one will unlock if you pay for it, or earn it through gameplay
Each of the factions has unique set of skills, that make them stand out, but they are also going to have a weakness to the others. For example the Echelon faction is designed for those players who like to try to play out on their own, with the ability to see enemies through objects, they are perfect for sneaking around. However as a lone wolf type class, if you are on your own and other player swarm you, you might be in serious trouble. Ubisoft have confirmed that more factions will join the roster as the game grows from where is not defined, but I don’t think Rayman or Just Dance are likely candidates at this time.
How do factions work?
Factions are not set in stone for your entire team. Each team is comprised of six players and each player can pick a different faction; well someone will have to select the same as someone else at launch. That means you could have two members from Echelon for their stealth focused nature, two Cleaners and their fire based abilities and then two from DedSec, in order to help keep enemies from using their gadgets.
But after your first death, or any subsequent one, you can actually change your players faction. If you found that running around as a Cleaner wasn’t for you, you can then swap to a Phantom and see how that goes. Maybe you loved being a Cleaner, but were not a fan of the loadout, you can just modify that before you jump back into the action. These choices mean that each time you play, experimenting will provide you with even more variety of choice, when it comes down to battle.
You mentioned Loadouts, how do they work?
Loadouts are just what you might imagine them to be, they let you select your weapons and then the attachments that go on them, in order to fit your way of playing. There are 24 weapons at launch and they cover the usual suspects, so Assault Rifles, SMG’s, LMG’s, marksmen rifles, sniper rifles, shotguns and pistols.
The game also offers up 40+ attachments, meaning you can equip your LMG with a larger magazine and maybe a secondary grip, so you can lay down more fire. Combine a gun like that with the Phantom’s taking type physique and you have a tank who can really dish out the damage. But as I mentioned before, you can swap between any of the factions or loadouts at any point, so your style isn’t locked in for the game.
Ok, so we know about Factions and loadouts, but what about the maps?
At launch there will be 14 maps for players to enjoy, some of them are being heavily inspired by locations within the same games that the teams come from, others are all original.
Maps are designed in one of two ways, a traditional arena layout or what they call a linear layout. Depending on the game mode you select, the maps available to you will change. If you pick a mode that will give you an arena layout, that is your traditional map with a spawn point for each team and then a lot of space to battle it out. The linear layout has the teams spawn at the far end away from each other and then the battle pushes towards the center and out again, depending on the mode.
These are the names of the maps that will be available at launch:
Emporium
Peblito
Echelon HQ
Attica Heights
Nudleplex
Times Square
Dumbo
Midway
Liberty
Meltdown
Showtime
Arena
Zoo
Mayday
Some of the names will clearly connect to the series that its inspired by, but some are completely original to the series.
You mentioned modes, what are they?
Modes are what you play on the maps, oh you mean the specifics. Well there are five coming at launch, three designed for the arena map type and two for those seeking a more linear game. Domination and Occupy are two of the arena modes, that will feel very familiar to players of other shooters, where controlling territory is key. The third arena mode is Hotshot where each kill has the downed player drop a token and in order for the kill to count, you have to collect the token. For each player that has the most tokens, they will be rewarded with a movement and fire rate boost, but they will also be highlighted on the enemies hud, so they know exactly where you are.
For those seeking a more linear approach to fights, there are linear modes (pun intended) called Escort and Zone Control. In these modes teams are assigned into either the attacking team or the defending team, with Escort requiring the attackers to get a package to the final checkpoint. While defenders can just focus on killing the other team, they can also reverse the package, so both teams need to be focused on that as well.
The modes will be slightly different in Ranked Matches, but details on those will be released closer to the launch of each season.
Seasons? You mean this is going to have a battle pass and all that stuff?
Yes. Oh detail, I keep forgetting that. Yes, every three months a new season will begin, allowing players to get new content to enjoy. Each season will offer up a new Faction, new maps, new weapons, a new battle pass, new cosmetics and new events.
Can I play with my mates?
Yes as the game is fully cross-play supported. Meaning that if you are on PC and they are on a console, you can still jump in and enjoy the game together.
The only thing that is unknown right now is if it supports Cross-Progression.
Ok, that sounds amazing, but I didn’t make it into the closed beta. So when can I play the game?
There isn’t an exact date yet, as the game is still in development, however a closed beta generally means that development is nearing its end. Of course, a closed beta means that development could still run for another few months, but once we know a date, we will let you know.
The closed beta is on now and will last for a little more than a week, so if you are keen to try it out, put your hand in for a registration, you might get lucky.
