XDefiant - What We Know So Far

"Tom Clancy's XDefiant" is Ubisoft's upcoming free-to-play shooter, which combines a bunch of Ubisoft properties into a single game. Fans weren't impressed with the game when it leaked in June as "Battlecat," but more details might have changed some gamers' minds. "XDefiant" combines characters from "Ghost Recon," "The Division," and "Splinter Cell" into a fast-paced casual shooter. The game is coming to PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC when it releases and seems to be combining ability-based characters from hero shooters like "Overwatch" with arena shooting of mainline "Call of Duty" titles.

"XDefiant" is poised to be the first major free-to-play release from Ubisoft since it revealed its huge plans to focus on multiplayer games. Ubisoft announced one other free-to-play game, "Tom Clancy's The Division Heartland," but the company has yet to show any gameplay for it. It's currently unknown which game will launch first. Still, there are plenty of details about "XDefiant" that fans need to know.

Currently, "Tom Clancy's XDefiant" does not have a release date or window beyond "coming soon." Ubisoft has been pretty tight-lipped about when the game might hit full release, however it's far enough in development to have had a tech test on PC, which occurred in early August 2021. Players can register for future tests across all platforms on Ubisoft's website, so it seems like Ubisoft plans on having a few more tests prior to the game's full release.

There are a number of reasons why "XDefiant" might not have a set release date. Ubisoft could be allowing itself time to implement feedback from players, or it could be avoiding having to delay the game. Since "XDefiant" is free-to-play, it doesn't need a long promotional buildup to release since people can't preorder it. Other free-to-play games, like "Apex Legends" have had surprise launches and seen great success, so Ubisoft might be attempting something similar with "Tom Clancy's XDefiant."

Ubisoft came out of the gate swinging with the reveal trailer for "Tom Clancy's XDefiant." The trailer showed off actual, first-person gameplay of the upcoming shooter, and also showcased some of the game's different classes and abilities. While the name "Tom Clancy" usually means hardcore, serious, military games, "XDefiant" is putting a different spin on it. "XDefiant" has a "punk rock" aesthetic in addition to its military roots, giving a colorful and fun feel to the fast-paced shooter.

The trailer revealed four factions in the game, each with a different look and skill set. The Wolves, Cleaners, Echelon, and Outcasts are all are pulled from different "Tom Clancy" titles that Ubisoft has developed, specifically "The Division," "Splinter Cell," and "Ghost Recon." Ubisoft also teased that more factions could be added to the game in the future. While not confirmed, the trailer suggests that players can customize how their characters look for each faction.

Ubisoft has shown off plenty of gameplay for "Tom Clancy's XDefiant" and it looks like a major departure for the series. The majority of recent Tom Clancy branded games have been third-person shooters, like "The Division" or hybrids, with third-person moving and first-person aiming, like "Ghost Recon Breakpoint," however "XDefiant" is a first-person shooter. "Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege" is one of the few Clancy-branded first-person shooters, but it's clear that "XDefiant" is a very different game.

"XDefiant" is also a multiplayer-only, PvP game, but it's a fast-paced shooter with respawns and customizable guns, more similar to "Call of Duty" than "Rainbow Six Siege." IGN's six minutes of gameplay video shows off one of the modes in "XDefiant," a payload escort playstyle. This is similar to other games like "Overwatch" where one team needs to stay on a payload to move it forward while the other team defends. It's unknown if all of the game modes will be objective-focused or if "XDefiant" will also feature team death match-style modes.