XDefiant, Ubisoft's attempt to create a Tom Clancy universe all-stars mashup draped over a hero shooter formula, has been taking the FPS genre by storm. The upcoming Ubisoft game has attracted over a million people for its closed beta.
Ubisoft’s new free-to-play 6v6 shooter has proven very popular as players have been overwhelmingly disappointed with Activision’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2.0. Many have been searching for an alternative to Call of Duty since the latest installment was released in October.
FPS players are describing XDefiant as a faster Call of Duty clone. Gamers are saying that the game feels like an older version of CoD in terms of pace, time-to-kill and movement. Fans are now saying that XDefiant may challenge Call of Duty’s dominance in the first-person shooter genre.
When Ubisoft launched the closed beta for XDefiant, the game had more views on Twitch than Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2.0 combined. However, the viewership has seen a decline as more gamers got to try the closed beta for themselves.
XDefiant is being produced by Mark Rubin, who also produced the original two Modern Warfare games for Activision which may explain why it plays like a Call of Duty title. Former Infinity Ward Creative Strategist Robert Bowling also praise Ubisoft’s upcoming shooter, saying that "it’s a refinement of what Call of Duty WAS."
Oh come on.@PlayXDefiant is legit.
It’s not a knock off what what COD is, it’s a refinement of what Call of Duty WAS.
COD made a choice to move away from it’s roots and origins, it’s expanded to be an “everything shooter”.
XDefiant knows what it is and does it well. https://t.co/IDNSyXZDWH
— Robert Bowling (@fourzerotwo) April 15, 2023
However, XDefiant is more than just a Call of Duty clone. There are many elements from other popular shooter titles making their way to the new first-person shooter. The game features some mechanics from the likes of Team Fortress and Overwatch.
To make XDefiant stand out as a shooter title, Ubisoft added factions based on the studio’s most popular action franchises. The game features factions called "Defiant" which include the Phantoms from Ghost Recon, Splinter Cell’s Echelon, and Cleaners from The Division. The game also features the Libertad faction from Far Cry 6 and DedSec from Watch Dogs 2.
Each faction has its own unique equipment and abilities. For example, Splinter Cell’s Echelon has Sonar Goggles which can be used to reveal enemies. The faction also has the Digital Ghillie Suit which renders the agent nearly invisible from enemies.
XDefiant does not feature skill-based matchmaking for casual matches. However, the ranked mode will see players of the same skill level compete against each other. Ubisoft is extending the closed beta by a full two days. The beta will end on April 25th at 11 PM PT. This means more players will get to experience the game.
