XDefiant Finally Being Released On May 21

Esports News

May 3, 2024

Grant Taylor-Hill

Ubisoft has confirmed that the free-to-play multiplayer shooter, XDefiant, is finally being released on May 21. This date comes around almost a year after the intended release date for the frenetic shooter, but owing to a slew of issues, the project suffered from a series of pushbacks. Following a recent playtest that was considered a success all around, Ubisoft made an announcement locking in the release date for XDefiant.

It was confirmed that XDefiant will launch in a pre-season state, which will serve as an introduction to the core game before the first season drops in July. Last year, Ubisoft published a pre-season roadmap that detail new maps, modes, weapons, and factions – it’s believed that this roadmap is still in place.

It Took Long Enough

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It has been almost a year since the first XDefiant playtests surfaced. This highly anticipated shooter from Ubisoft was on the cards for the longest time, but it kept facing problems with its development that consistently pushed it back. Now, there are mere weeks left until XDefiant finally hits the market, challenging the paradigm and attempting to carve out a space in the first-person shooter arena.

It’s as typical a shooter as you could ever hope to play. Ubisoft explained some of the foundational mechanics in a recent blog post, discussing how the game modes are effectively lifted from other, traditional shooters. For instance, there’s a Domination mode, a Hardpoint-style mode called Occupy, and HotShot, which is Call of Duty’s Kill Confirmed with some extra steps. There are more innovative modes like Escort, but that too isn’t anything we’ve never seen before.

Ubisoft has already confirmed a four-season-long roadmap that consists of new factions, weapons, and maps. There will be a battle pass system put in place to support the ongoing development of XDefiant, which is free to play by nature. Over time, Ubisoft will evolve the modes available in the game and will also work on deploying a Ranked Mode, a private match system, and player protection features, all of which will lend themselves nicely to a competitive ecosystem.

There are no expectations that XDefiant will become the next best esports game, but there’s a foundation there that should support it if it ever reaches those lofty heights.