The existence of XDefiant was first confirmed by a leak in July 2021, when we learned that Ubisoft was developing a free-to-play crossover first-person shooter game featuring characters from some of its most prized Tom Clancy IPs: Splinter Cell, Ghost Recon, and The Division. Later that month, Ubisoft officially confirmed the game and announced the beginning of testing phases.

　　The developers of XDefiant went silent for nearly two years, though the game is now finally ready to be showcased again. Wccftech participated at a recent press event and played a preview build of XDefiant ahead of the Closed Beta, which is live now on all platforms (PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S|X) with cross-play.

　　Whereas the announcement referred to it as a hardcore shooter, the presentation discussed XDefiant as a return to the arcade shooter focused on 6v6 matches, featuring a classic three-lane approach to the design of most of the game's 14 starting maps (Emporium, Pueblito, Echelon HQ, Attica Heights, Nudleplex, Times Square, Dumbo, Midway, Liberty, Meltdown, Showtime, Arena, Zoo, and Mayday). The developers also said they wanted each weapon class to shine at what it does best, so SMGs are strong at close range, Assault Rifles at medium range, et cetera, though the 44 customizable attachments can tweak that in various ways. There will be 24 weapons in total at launch.

　　However, what's supposed to make XDefiant unique is the existence of factions drawn from some of the most popular IPs owned by Ubisoft. These act like classes and can be changed at any time on respawn. Splinter Cell's Echelon spies can activate a brief invisibility skill useful for infiltration, and their ultimate reveals the location of the enemy's team to all their teammates.

　　There are the Cleaners from The Division, as per the original announcement, who can deploy a drone that rains fire across a straight line. Their ultimate is, as you'd expect, a flamethrower that you'll want to stay away from. They also have incendiary ammunition, which inflicts burn damage but also lowers the weapon range.

　　Libertad freedom fighters from Far Cry 6 made it into XDefiant, too. Their skills are geared toward healing themselves and nearby allies. On the other hand, Phantoms from Ghost Recon employ advanced technology to shield themselves and the rest of the team from enemy fire.

　　Lastly, DedSec members from Watch Dogs are able to disrupt the enemy team's ability to use skills with a hack and can also unleash the spider-like drone franchise fans will be familiar with. Do note that DedSec will have to be unlocked, though.

　　XDefiant sports five modes, roughly split into two types: arena and linear. Arena modes like Domination, Occupy, and Hot Shot feature a symmetrical design for the teams. In contrast, linear modes like Escort and Zone Control divided teams into attackers and defenders.

　　I didn't really have a lot of time to play since the session was rather short. What I played indicated that the game has decent, fun fast-paced gunplay, though I would be hard-pressed to say that it's enough to make it stand out among the plethora of similar shooters available on the market, even with the faction spin. That said, I do look forward to playing more XDefiant in the Closed Beta. You can join in now, too, and each player can invite five more friends to compose a full six-person team. The Closed Beta runs until April 24th at 6 AM British Time.

　　Ubisoft also confirmed that the game will use a seasonal model. Every three months, players can expect a new faction, new maps, weapons, cosmetics and bundles, events, and Battle Pass. The rewards track unlocked during the Closed Beta will carry over at launch.