The closed beta for XDefiant from Ubisoft is already in full swing. Find out why the free-to-play multiplayer arena shooter is a real CoD competitor in its gameplay, when the release date will be, and how you can still secure a beta key in this overview.
CoD Warzone 2 was a massive success in the beginning. However, performance problems, persistent bugs, and missing features caused increasing discontent among players, significantly reducing the player base after only a few months.
He's not wrong pic.twitter.com/4yvb5wxCGW
— James – JGOD (@JGODYT) January 13, 2023
XDefiant picks up the players again
Ubisoft now wants to give players back the gameplay they want with XDefiant and learn from Activision’s mistakes. The French publisher announced the title in 2021 under the original name Tom Clancy’s XDefiant. It is a crossover shooter that gathers various characters from different Tom Clancy games under one roof. Play operators from in-house titles like “The Division,” “Splinter Cell,” and “Ghost Recon.”
Yet, Ubisoft decided to compress the name to XDefiant to have more freedom in implementing future changes to the roster.
XDefiant’s gameplay is a mix of Overwatch and Call of Duty
This game is one thing above all: fast-paced. The free shooter focuses on intelligent strategies and high-speed movements. You’ll fight in intense 6vs6 matches, use personalized equipment, and choose from different classes, called factions.
Available factions
The factions in XDefiant form the classes. Here you can choose from different characters that you know from other popular Ubisoft games. These operators are called Defiants, and you can choose from the following factions:
Echelon (“The Division”) – Super Spies
Their most potent weapons are information gathering, invisibility, and deception.
Phantoms (“Ghost Recon”) – Future Soldiers
A unit of former ghosts specialized in the use of shields.
DedSec (“Watch Dogs”) – Cyber Attackers
Tech experts who can hack into enemy systems and take control of items like turrets.
Libertad (“Far Cry 6”) – Freedom Fighters.
Experienced medics that no team should be without.
Cleaners (“The Division”) – Pyro Technicians
They are the masters of fire and respond with firebombs, napalm, or the classic flamethrower.
While the factions have unique abilities and exclusive weapons, such as flamethrowers, you can upgrade the characters with many new weapons and customize and modify them according to your play style. Also, you can keep tweaking your equipment and faction abilities as you play.
Feel free to check out the brand new Deep Dive trailer on the factions and loadouts in XDefiant below:
The different game modes
You can expect various things to do in XDefiant, including dynamic arena battles and more linear options. Choose from five different game modes:
Occupation
You must capture three special zones and defend them for the longest time to win.
Domination
Conquer a single moving zone and hold it as long as possible.
Zone control
Attack or defend the zone.
Hot Shot
A mode modeled after Call of Duty’s Confirmed Kill mode: eliminated enemies drop emblems you and your team must collect to earn points. If a teammate of the fallen collects the emblem before you do, you don’t get any points.
Escort
You must escort a cargo from A to B or prevent the enemy team from escorting it.
XDefiant maps
Look forward to 14 maps in this FPS, including outdoor and indoor areas, as you are used to in games like CoD. These represent familiar locations from the other Ubisoft titles and include entirely new ones.
- Arena
- Attica Heights
- Dumbo
- Echelon HQ
- Emporium
- Liberty
- Mayday
- Meltdown
- Midway
- Nudleplex
- Pueblito
- Showtime
- Times Square
- Zoo
In the following trailer, you get an extensive insight into the many modes, maps, and XDefiant’s gameplay.
Get your key for the XDefiant beta now!
Play the closed beta to prepare for the release date. The playtest runs until April 23rd for Xbox Series X|S, PS5, and PC. You can still get a beta key via Twitch Drops. To get one, do one of the following:
Get it via a Twitch Drop
- Log in to the Ubisoft website for the Twitch drops and connect your Twitch Account with Ubisoft.
- Watch an XDefiant Twitch-Stream for 30 min. The stream must be drop-enabled.
- Afterward, you should receive a beta key as a Twitch drop in your inventory.
Redeem a beta key
- Visit the game redemption website.
- Log in with your Ubisoft account.
- Select the preferred platform on which you would like to access the Closed Beta.
- Enter your code exactly as it is shown.
- Select “Submit my code”.
When to expect the XDefiant release date?
According to the publisher, XDefiant will be available soon and most likely be released later this year. However, there is no exact release date yet. The free-to-play shooter is set to release for PS4/PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. It probably will also support cross-play and cross-progression, allowing for smooth play between PC and consoles.
Play more free shooters now
Free-to-play games are a great way to test and learn new games. For even more intense free-to-play gameplay, check out our Best Free FPS Games ranking, which includes Steam favorites like Apex Legends and Valorant.
If you love the thrill of games like GTA V, look forward to Payday 3. Should you be more into historical realism, don’t miss our Hell Let Loose tips on how to get started in the challenging WWII shooter.
How do you like the gameplay of XDefiant? Do you think that the shooter will finally replace Warzone 2? Feel free to let us know in the comments below.
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