Ubisoft is sticking with XDefiant and hosting a test weekend with crossplay between PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.
Ubisoft is ditching the Tom Clancy’s name tag for XDefiant after much criticism. Fans had criticised that the colourful and cheerful style had little to do with the grim origins of the game brand, which in turn goes back to the writer of military and political thrillers (Hunt for Red October, Rainbow Six).
And it is precisely this upcoming multiplayer shooter that is still looking for players who would like to try out the beta this weekend. It’s not the first closed beta since the game was announced, but it’s the first with crossplay – PC and consoles should be able to gamble together.
Why fans had a hard time associating the game with Tom Clancy is also shown by the artwork:
When does the beta run? The beta is already running and will end on Monday morning, 20 February 2023 at 08:00.
How do I participate? To participate, you will need a redemption code, which you will need to enter on the appropriate (website) while logged in with your Ubisoft account. If there are enough free seats attached to the code, your entry to the beta will be confirmed immediately.
The codes are available at various places, for example at AMD, who are giving out a code with 50,000 free seats:
The first 50k users to redeem the code below get guaranteed access to try @PlayXDefiant , an unreleased fast-paced FPS, starting this Thursday!
Code: LCJM-CANC-VD8D-4CXNhttps://t.co/lzBM03kvZi
Open to select regions worldwide. Learn more: https://t.co/fqWcntgupW pic.twitter.com/U3PlQGyonC
– AMD Gaming (@AMDGaming) February 15, 2023
XDefiant, what was that again?
XDefiant plays a bit like a Call of Duty with the special abilities from Overwatch. Realistic weapons, fast movement, compact maps and hero characters that each bring their own gimmicks to the battlefield.
In the trailer you can get a visual impression:
Ubisoft weakens in Free2Play shooters
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Ubisoft weakens in Free2Play shooters
Ubisoft wants to place its own multiplayer shooter on the market that is free-to-play and less tactical than the still successful Rainbow Six: Siege.
However, the French publisher already failed with the battle royale Hyper Scape, which was shut down after about one and a half years due to lack of success. Ghost Recon Frontline was scrapped, and the announced beta for The Division Heartland has been months in coming.
Whether XDefiant can put an end to the Free2Play curse remains questionable. The reactions from fans so far can be described as restrained at best, and there is a lot of rejection on social media. All of this is happening at a time when Ubisoft has had to cancel various games to compensate for a difficult economic situation.
What do you think? Will you give XDefiant a chance? What do you (not) like about the multiplayer shooter and why? Feel free to write it in the comments!