XDefiant, Ubisoft’s free-to-play shooter, has finally got a new release date after several delays.
First announced in 2021, XDefiant is a 6v6 multiplayer shooter that brings together characters from various Ubisoft franchises like The Division, Rainbow Six Siege and Splinter Cell.
An open beta followed at the start of 2023 ahead of a full release, but the game was delayed indefinitely in September, after failing a number of console quality control tests. “I know it’s a bummer but I’d rather ship a game that is better for everyone,” said executive producer Mark Rubin at the time.
Now Ubisoft has confirmed that a six-week preseason for XDefiant will kick off later this month via PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.
The fast arena shooter you've been waiting for is almost here! XDefiant drops on May 21 on Playstation 5, XBox Series X|S and Ubisoft Connect PC.https://t.co/HHRux4t0Tg pic.twitter.com/Jl9mamFdmf
— XDefiant (@PlayXDefiant) May 2, 2024
XDefiant will be available to play May 21 from 6pm BST. The preseason comes ahead of a full first season of content and will feature five modes across 14 maps, with players able to get their hands on 24 different weapons and 44 attachments.
Five different factions will also be available as part of XDefiant’s preseason, including the Far Cry-inspired Libertad, Ghost Recon’s Phantoms, Splinter Cells’ Echelon and Cleaners from The Division. The Dedsec faction will only be available once a player “unlocks or purchases” them.
Following the first season launch in early July, Ubisoft will release quarterly updates for XDefiant, including new seasons which will feature battle passes alongside new maps, weapons and factions. The studio has also shared a roadmap which confirms it expects to release an additional four factions and a dozen new maps and weapons for XDefiant over the next twelve months.
Earlier this year, it was reported that the continued delays to XDefiant were down to the team “chasing” Call Of Duty and copying features found in Modern Warfare 3 and Warzone but Rubin swiftly shut down those claims. “We don’t want to be like what the newer Call Of Duty titles are like,” he wrote on social media.
“I can’t wait to ship just so we don’t have to talk about ship dates anymore and we can talk about more important stuff like gameplay balancing or new content/modes/maps,” he added.
In other news, the next game in the beloved Batman: Arkham series is coming exclusively to the Meta Quest 3 VR headset.
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