Ubisoft’s recent investor meeting revealed unannounced information about thearrival ofXDefiant. The shooter is slated to release sometime during the company’s fiscal fourth quarter, which ranges from January to March 2024. As a result, the new shooter could be available sooner than most may have anticipated.
When is the XDefiant release date?
According toUbisoft’s recent third-quarter sales update,XDefiantwill be available sometime before March 31. Listed along with nine other Ubisoft titles as an upcoming digital release for the current quarter, this is the first we’ve seen of a release window for the shooter. It’s listed as “XDefiant: Season 0,” which tells us it could be considered early access.
The update saysXDefiantwill come to PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. Other titles coming from Ubisoft during the same window includeSkull and Bonesseason one, plus new seasons ofThe Divison 2,Rainbow Six Siege, andThe Crew.
Is XDefiant a true Call of Duty competitor?
XDefiantis a free-to-play multiplayer first-person shooter. Using the Snowdrop engine, many view it as a direct competitor toCall of Dutymultiplayer. An open beta for the upcoming game took place in June 2023 on all three platforms. It received mostly positive feedback, with the obvious changes required you’d expect of an early access beta.
Primarily, the game is focused on playing the way most competitiveCall of Dutyplayers want it to play. That means more competitive game modes, maps built for competitive play, and fewer unbalanced items (mines, rockets, etc.). The beta didn’t accomplish anything other arcade shooters haven’t in the past, but it did everything it needed to pretty well. Even the map pool, which included 14 unique maps back in June, is massive for modern games.
Additionally, developer Ubisoft San Francisco may have an ace up its sleeve. FormerCall of Duty Leagueprofessional player “ACHES” is a consultant on the project.Call of Dutydevelopers almost never listen to pro player feedback or take competitive gameplay into account.
Focusing on the bigger picture, casual players, who are the vast majority to buy yearly COD installments, are the primary target. As such, ACHES may be the secret sauceUbisoftSF needs to make XDefiant the competitiveCall of Dutygame many have wanted for years.
