XDefiants Beta: Ubisofts Ambitious Shooter Struggles to Stand Out in a Crowded Arena

Navigating the crowded marketplace of multiplayer shooters is a challenging feat, with numerous titles aspiring to achieve the status of Call of Duty or Apex Legends. The allure of ‘free-to-play’ no longer guarantees a new intellectual property will make an impact unless it hails from a well-known publisher like Ubisoft. Truth be told, I had forgotten entirely about their forthcoming arena shooter, XDefiant, until I received an email inviting me to join the closed beta. Set within a lively punk rock environment, XDefiant features a dynamic 6v6 gameplay where players take on the role of characters from Ubisoft’s renowned franchises like Splinter Cell and Far Cry, engaging in fierce battles utilizing unique skills and traits. This concept appears thrilling on paper, yet after spending several hours in the closed beta, I remain unconvinced.

XDefiant does cover the essentials of delivering an action-packed experience, supported by near-instant respawns that keep players entrenched in the fray. The game also allows for an endless style of class switching — similar to Overwatch — enabling you to change factions at any time to shift the momentum, alongside customizable weapon loadouts. Once you select a weapon, you aren’t permanently tied to it. However, the experience was occasionally hindered by lengthy matchmaking times, minor lag, and loading issues, which are likely to emerge from a game still in development.

That said, I’m not inclined to dwell on these technical challenges. Nevertheless, the XDefiant closed beta on PC faced difficulties with filling lobbies — sometimes even requiring a restart during gameplay. Additionally, there isn’t a straightforward option to exit a match immediately after it concludes, forcing players to wait through the leaderboard and animations while a countdown ticks away at the bottom of the screen.

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In closed beta, you can choose from Cleaners, Phantoms, Libertards, and Echelons
Photo Credit: Ubisoft

Upon diving into XDefiant, the main menu presents a layout reminiscent of Rainbow Six Siege, showcasing a large portrait of a random faction member on the right, encouraging you to explore their abilities — that is, if you can log in. As a multiplayer-centric game devoid of a storyline, it requires a stable internet connection to reach beyond the title screen. Players can choose from five factions, although matches are tailored for a 6v6 format: Cleaners (The Division), Phantoms (Ghost Recon), Libertard (Far Cry 6), Echelon (Splinter Cell), and DedSec (Watch Dogs). There are no restrictions on the number of identical characters on a team, so we can anticipate a varied lineup as players continue to experiment with their options. However, I am uncertain if this trend will persist at launch, as I have noticed some tendencies forming.

During the closed beta, it seems most XDefiant players gravitate towards Libertard, primarily due to their straightforward kit. There’s little pressure to be a cooperative teammate here, as these self-sufficient medics possess tools that can restore their health and support their allies amidst heavy combat. Consequently, players can roam the map freely while racking up kill counts. On the other hand, Phantoms serve as tanks outfitted with shields, while Echelons are stealthy operators who can briefly become invisible and enjoy the passive advantage of not appearing on the enemy’s minimaps.

I found myself thoroughly enjoying the Cleaners — aggressive fire-starters armed with incendiary rounds causing burn damage. Furthermore, they can deploy a flying drone that unleashes flames in a straight line before detonating in a burst of smoke and fire. This tactic proved effective for clearing enemies from my path, allowing me to quickly seek cover and reload my weapons.

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The explosive Cleaners were my favored faction in XDefiant
Photo Credit: Ubisoft

Sadly, access to the most intriguing faction, DedSec, was restricted during the XDefiant closed beta, with Ubisoft indicating they will be introduced at a later date. These digital hackers can deploy a Spider Bot that immobilizes an enemy briefly, allowing you to approach them and finish them off. I’m curious if I can pet them afterward for a job well done, but I haven’t experienced it yet.

Ultimately, all these abilities function as enhancements complementing your positioning and shooting skills, which remain essential for securing victories. The gunplay feels solid overall, though every weapon exhibits a peculiar recoil behavior, making bullets spread in an erratic, horizontal manner after a few shots. Therefore, I often found it more effective to spam for headshots than to spray indiscriminately. Movement is impressively fluid — reminiscent of Apex Legends — allowing for agile navigation across the map, though I occasionally encountered issues with vaulting over obstacles.

Your actions in XDefiant contribute to the Ultra meter, which unlocks special abilities that can significantly shift the gameplay dynamics. Consider it akin to the Ultimate abilities found in Valorant or Overwatch, albeit more grounded given Ubisoft’s offerings. When the counter fills to 100 percent, Cleaners receive a potentially overpowered flamethrower, enabling me to rampage across the battlefield and set adversaries aflame.

My second-favorite choice, Echelons come equipped with an intriguing stealth Ultra ability that reveals all opponents on the map when activated, allowing me to play the role of a crafty agent who stalks and eliminates them with precision. Utilizing my cloaking device to slip away from enemies’ line of sight was exhilarating, although the 30-second cooldown required careful consideration of when to deploy it.

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In XDefiant’s Escort mode, players push a massive robot across the map to a delivery point
Photo Credit: Ubisoft

However, the similarities to Overwatch don’t end there. The Escort mode, for example, involves your team moving a large robot toward a specific delivery point while taking out any opponents obstructing your path and securing progress at checkpoints. Unlike Overwatch, however, XDefiant’s interpretation of this mode is much more frenetic, thanks to multiple routes for flanking adversaries and sufficient elevation changes to secure the high ground. Furthermore, the fact that each operator has only 100 HP guarantees swift eliminations.

There are also standard control-based modes, starting with Occupy, which tasks players with pursuing and capturing a single point that shifts location during the match. Deaths from surprise attacks are frustratingly common in this mode, given the unpredictable respawn locations across the map. In Zone Control, players either attack or defend various locations, while Domination involves taking control of two or three points to accumulate time — similar to Battlefield 4’s multiplayer offerings. Evidently, many of these modes appear to be slightly modified iterations of the usual point-capture scheme, making some gaming sessions tiresome regardless of the nostalgic vibes offered by maps inspired by classic Ubisoft franchises.

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XDefiant’s user-friendly UI makes weapon customisation straightforward
Photo Credit: Screenshot/ Rahul Chettiyar

XDefiant’s weapon customization interface is user-friendly, sporting a clean layout that allows you to swap attachments while continuously observing their impact on the firearm’s attributes. Initially, each weapon category — Assault, SMG, Sniper, etc. — features only one gun unlocked by default, with the potential to expand to 24 as you progress. The attachment system appears to take cues from Battlefield’s mechanics, where time spent with a specific weapon leads to leveling it up and unlocking enhancements. Naturally, a free-to-play setting isn’t complete without a battle pass, which, as expected, enables you to alter the visual elements of your operator or weapons through skins. Although the current designs and colors aren’t particularly extravagant, there’s potential for exciting collaborations in the future.

XDefiant’s battle pass
Photo Credit: Screenshot/ Rahul Chettiyar

While XDefiant showcases skillfully executed gameplay, I’m finding it hard to discern its long-term appeal. In a saturated market teeming with arcade shooters featuring ability-driven characters, Ubisoft’s offering feels redundant, ultimately resembling an unnecessary addition. It’s akin to an unflavored snack you consume merely because it’s been on the counter for too long.

Sure, the game boasts visually appealing maps; however, if the modes themselves lack creativity, it may eventually become tiresome. Ubisoft plans to introduce new factions every three months, so we might see a more diverse range of characters soon. Just imagine an Assassin’s Creed figure sneaking up on and eliminating futuristic soldiers with hidden blades; that might just be the game-changer for XDefiant.

The XDefiant closed beta is currently active and is scheduled to conclude on April 23, available on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series S/X. You can register for access by signing up on Ubisoft’s official site.