XDefiant, the new free-to-play arcade shooter developed by the team at Ubisoft San Francisco, will be launching for Xbox Series X|S, PS5, and PC via Ubisoft Connect on Tuesday, May 21, Ubisoft has announced. Players can expect five different game modes across 14 maps, 24 weapons with 44 attachments, and five playable factions inspired by Ubisoft franchises as part of the game’s preseason.
The factions include:
- Libertad (Far Cry)
- Phantoms (Ghost Recon)
- Echelon (Splinter Cell)
- Cleaner (The Division)
- DedSec (Watch Dogs)
Game modes include:
- Domination: teams fight to control three fixed zones
- Occupy: teams fight to control one zone that periodically moves around the map
- HotShot: players fight to get the most KOs
- Zone Control: attacking team works to secure five zones in a progression across the map, defenders fight to stop them
- Escort: attacking team must bring a package to its final destination across the map, while defenders attempt to stymie their progress, and even push the package back
A look at some of the factions in action:
Ubisoft on some of the factions’ trademarks:
Factions offer a choice of two active abilities, as well as one passive buff, and an ultra ability that must be charged up during the match. Libertad excels at healing support thanks to their BioVida medication; the Cleaners use fire to burn away their enemies; Echelon (Splinter Cell) uses stealth technology to reveal enemy locations and render themselves invisible on enemy maps; the Phantoms use their advanced training and technology to block damage; and DedSec uses their technological expertise to hack enemy gadgets and sic spiderbots on unsuspecting opponents. At launch, DedSec will be locked, as will two of the other faction’s playable characters, but all can be earned by completing in-game missions.