5 reasons why XDefiant can dethrone Call of Duty

Early verdicts are in, and it seems XDefiant may have what it takes to challenge Call of Duty in the long run.

5 reasons why XDefiant can dethrone Call of Duty

XDefiant (Image source Ubisoft)

Ubisoft’s new first-person shooter game, XDefiant beta is out, and the gaming community is already loving it. Some have even speculated that XDefiant can take the place of Call of Duty when the game finally releases. After all the alpha testing that Ubisoft did seem to have borne its fruit so far in the beta. Some of the features that XDefiant has introduced so far features that Call of Duty players have been asking for quite a while now.

Even though, players who are playing the XDefiant beta are all praise for the game Call of Duty is still the leader in the FPS genre. But in recent times since the release of season 2 of MW 2 and Warzone 2 players count has dropped significantly. There were even rumors that streamers and regular COD players were switching to other games and XDefiant could be that answer.

Related: When is Ubisoft’s new game XDefiant’s release date?

XDefiant is free to play

XDefiant Ubisoft

Image source Ubisoft

One of the main reasons Ubisoft’s newest game XDefiant will attract players as it is free to play. For players to get access to the beta they need to sign up on the Ubisoft website. They need to link their Gmail account with their Ubisoft account. But this not a guaranteed method as only select few will the chance to play. Fear not XDefiant which may get a proper release later this year will be free upon availability. Another big plus point of the game is that it will support cross platform play so whether you are a console player, and your friend owns a PC, you can both queue together.

On the other hand, Call of Duty games, excluding Warzone 2 (which is a battle royale game) which is free, but others such as Modern Warfare 2 ($70) or Black Ops 2 ($59.99), require you to spend money to download. So, basically if you don’t have the cash or don’t want to spend any will be put off just by seeing the price. Moreover, there are even in game purchases (micro-transactions) that players can do to get better gear or skip levels. So, it basically has become pay to win somewhat.

Variety of maps and game modes to choose from in XDefiant

XDefiant Call of Duty

Image source Ubisoft

XDefiant is being developed by some former Call of Duty developers in accordance with ex-players. So, it’s safe to say that they know what they are doing. They are aware of what makes COD good and what its shortcomings are. It seems that they have managed to add the best that COD has to offer and have improved on it. If you just look at the map pool for XDefiant which includes 14 maps is just astounding. Modern Warfare 2 when it launched had close to only 8 that too with some golden oldies.

In terms of game modes there are similarities with player favorites like Domination (Arena Modes), Hard point (Linear Modes). Moreover, this is just the tip of the iceberg as the best part are the maps themselves. Ubisoft has a vast list of games to choose from, the likes of Far Cry, Division Universe, Splinter Cell and so on. They have masterfully added some of the locations from these games into XDefiant and they are delightful to play in. While some have commented on the graphics quality of the maps, they don’t seem out of place at all and it certainly fun to run around in them and shoot some enemies.

Call of Duty style gameplay but with abilities like Valorant

XDefiant Call of Duty

Image source Ubisoft

Call of Duty games have been a staple for such a long time that even EA’s valiant attempt to dethrone it by introducing Battlefield didn’t seem to affect its popularity one bit. Even though all the Battlefield games are great in their own way they seem to pale in comparison to COD and its variety of releases.

Cut to present day Ubisoft it seems wants to challenge that COD dominance in the FPS genre. As previously mentioned, the COD player base has seen a significant dent it due to people being unhappy with the game. Some have even chosen to try out new games all together and that where XDefiant comes in. Some have even called it the Call of Duty killer, have said XDefiant may dethrone Call of Duty.

XDefiant certainly seem to have the necessary tools to achieve that goal. One of the reasons is the faction-based gameplay. Yes, it does sound a lot like what Riot games has done with Valorant. In XDefiant similar to Valorant there are different Faction/Classes that players can choose while queueing for a match. These factions are divided into five different categories taken from different Ubisoft game worlds. These are:

  • Libertad.
  • Phantoms.
  • Echelon.
  • Cleaners.
  • DedSec.

Each one of these factions have different abilities which include 2 basic abilities, 1 Passive ability and an Ultra (which is basically an ultimate move similar to what Valorant has). Ubisoft seem to have taken best of both games and put it in XDefiant. This faction specific abilities combined with COD style gameplay will surely add a new dimension to the FPS genre. Players can mix match with various gun loadouts similar to Call of Duty with the factions’ abilities to get the best out of the game. But will XDefiant dethrone Call of Duty remains to be seen.

Won’t have skill-based matchmaking in XDefiant

One of the primary reasons that XDefiant may get a better player base which Battlefield failed to attract (even though Battlefield 2042 is booming in the last weeks) is its matchmaking system. When a player tries to queue for a match in Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 Resurgence mode or game modes like hardpoint or domination they usually do as their respective skill level. It depends on various points some a bit unfair as it differs from solo queue to squad dive. COD keeps track of both the win percentage (KDR) and also how many games you have lost. Then these stats are calculated in order to get the matchup, which sometimes can be favorable, but mostly will go against you or you will feel you are better than your opponents you are queue up against.

But in XDefiant upon release will have random matchmaking which will make the rounds interesting. Ubisoft seem to have found way to get the best out of the match making system so for better gameplay experience. Even in the beta players seem to love the matchmaking so far.

Developers seem to care

https://youtu.be/m1AjjxAZEPo

Call of Duty players have only one plea to Activision, is for them to listen to what the players have to say. But it seems time and time again they are let down by the developers. It’s the same case with Warzone 2. Since its release players have complained about the game mechanics and the lack of variety. Even though it’s free to play people don’t seem too keen to stick around anymore and are switching to different games. Some have even gone back to Warzone 1 stating there should only be one Warzone not two on the first place.

Unfortunately, for Activision the player base seems to thin out each day. On the other hand, MW2 has seen an influx of players due to the release of Season 3 and Battle pass. Even so the Battle pass costs a pretty penny which begs the question again is MW2 becoming pay to win little by little.

XDefiant being created by people who have worked on COD games previously seem to take these into consideration. They seem to actively make the game good and user friendly. The devs so far have been very active on social media and listening to players demands to make the game better. The UI and HUD in the game is quite beginner friendly and easy to understand. The loadout menu is very simple with slots for various loadouts for guns. The gun mechanics feel really good, one can easily get the hang of it.

The only drawback of the game so far is the net code generation which devs are doing their best to fix. Apart from that there have been issues with the servers which were fixed. The devs have promised upon the full release of the game there won’t be such issues.

XDefiant devs listening to the player base a good sign for the game. But whether it takes the place of Call of Duty in future, will have to wait and watch.

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