Ubisoft’s latest free-to-play arena shooter, XDefiant, is launching tomorrow on PC, Xbox Series X/S, and PlayStation 5. This feature piece will help you learn about the best factions and starting maps to help you get started.
XDefiant’s factions are mostly drawn from other games in the publisher’s universe, so you’ll likely notice similarities to those in Far Cry, Ghost Recon, Splinter Cell, Watch Dogs, and The Division.
More factions will be added with each seasonal update. Fingers crossed, hopefully, we see something Rayman-themed in the future.
XDefiant Factions
Here are the five factions that will be available to play in XDefiant and all their abilities. This is the starting line-up, so check back with each seasonal update to see who’s been added.
Libertad Freedom Fighters
The revolutionaries of Libertad value strength in numbers as they seek to free their Caribbean nation of Yara. Libertad are expert medics, thanks to BioVida therapies they’ve adapted for battlefield use. Their Médico backpack can keep an entire team alive and fighting, and their presence alone increases passive healing for nearby allies.
Libertaf will never give up, because they know their cause is just and victory is inevitable. This faction is inspired by Far Cry 6.
| Ability | Description |
|---|---|
| Remedio | Launch a revitalizing gas canister that heals friendlies until destroyed or canceled |
| BioVida Boost | A fortifying wave boosts total health and regen for you and nearby allies |
| Ultra: Médico Supremo | The Médico backpack provides a large health and healing boost for a limited time |
| Passive Trait: Espíritu de Libertad | The contagious spirit of freedom slowly heals you and nearby allies |
Phantoms Future Soldiers
These ex-Ghosts, also known as Shadow Team, offer their training and advanced tech to the highest bidder. Phantoms are hard to kill and specialise in battlefield control, using a variety of deployed and personal shields to hold down points or anchor a forward push.
Phantoms all share a special ops background and a distrust of military hierarchy. The Faction is inspired by Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon.
| Ability | Description |
|---|---|
| Mag Barrier | An electromagnetic barrier blocks incoming enemy fire and grenades |
| Blitz Shield | Equip a tactical shield. Press the Melee button for a shield bash |
| Ultra: Aegis | A spherical plasma shield combined with an electro-scattergun for close-quarters combat |
| Passive Trait: Hardened | Health increased as a result of tailored gene therapies |
Echelon Super Spies
The spies of the NSA’s Echelon initiative don’t shy away from a firefight, but information and subterfuge are their most potent weapons.
Echelon agents are invisible on the minimap and use their abilities to surprise and confuse their foes. Additionally, they can reveal the location of enemy combatants, giving their allies a significant tactical advantage.
Echelon Agents are highly trained, highly capable, and are used to operating without a safety net. The Faction’s origin is Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell.
| Ability | Description |
|---|---|
| Intel Suit | Shares the location of nearby enemies with your team |
| Digital Ghillie Suit | Renders the agent nearly invisible. Movement and aiming reduce the effect |
| Ultra: Sonar Goggles | Reveal enemies and hunt them down with the classic Third Echelon 5.7 pistol |
| Passive Trait: Low Profile | Agent does not appear on enemy minimaps |
Cleaners Pyro Technicians
These former NYC sanitation workers solve all their problems with one tool: fire. Cleaners are damage-dealing specialists, packing incendiary rounds alongside hardware like a napalm-spreading drone and an old-fashioned flamethrower. This crew takes grim pride in their work—while the Cleaners may not be trained soldiers, they know how to get the job done.
The faction’s origin is Tom Clancy’s The Division.
| Ability | Description |
|---|---|
| Incinerator Drone | A napalm-delivering drone burns everything in its flight path |
| Firebomb | Detonate a Molotov cocktail, causing explosive damage and igniting the area |
| Ultra: The Purifier | A flamethrower ensures enemies are thoroughly sterilized |
| Passive Trait: Incendiary Rounds | Incendiary ammo inflicts extra burn damage but decreases weapon range |
DedSec Cyber Attackers
Where DedSec goes, chaos follows. These tech experts can scramble the enemy’s HUD, take control of deployable items like shields, turrets, and drones, and unleash autonomous Spiderbots to hunt down the opposing team. DedSec hackers come from various backgrounds, but they all believe in disrupting and dismantling systems of control, technological and otherwise.
The Factions origin comes from Watch Dogs.
| Ability | Description |
|---|---|
| Spiderbot | Deploy a Spiderbot that will target and stun the nearest foe via face hug |
| Hijack | Hack enemy-deployed abilities and make them your own. |
| Ultra: Lockout | Disable the enemies’ HUD, minimap, and abilities in the affected area |
| Passive Trait: Fabricator | After a device is deployed, the Fabricator prints a new one |
These are the five factions that will be available in XDefiant at its launch on May 21st.
XDefiant Full Starting Maps and Locations List
There are two types of maps in XDefiant: Arena and Progression. Most of these maps have been adapted from other Ubisoft games like The Division and Watch Dogs.
Arena is completely brand new, but we think the rest come from other games in Ubisoft’s universe. There are fourteen maps in total to play with on launch, here’s the full list:
- Emporium
- Pueblito
- Echelon HQ
- Attica Heights
- Nudleplex
- Times Square
- Dumbo
- Midway
- Liberty
- Metldown
- Showtime
- Arena
- Zoo
- Mayday
Players will be able to choose from five multiplayer modes, including Domination, Occupy, and Hot Shot for Arena modes, and Escort and Zone Control for Linear modes.
| Multiplayer Mode | Description |
|---|---|
| Domination | Domination is an Objective-based Game Mode where the goal consists of capturing and holding multiple Objectives at once |
| Occupy | Occupy is an Objective-based game mode where the goal consists in capturing and holding a single objective that relocates over time |
| Hot Shot | Hot Shot is a 6v6 arena mode in which players kill by picking up items |
| Escort | Escort is a round-based Game Mode where players are divided into Attacking and Defending Teams. Attackers have to escort a non-combative robot (Payload) to the destination whilst Defenders prevent the enemy team from escorting the Payload |
| Zone Control | Zone Control is an asymmetric stage-based Game Mode |
XDefiant is set to launch on the Ubisoft Store for PC, PlayStation Store on PS5, and the Windows Store for the Xbox Series X/S. It will be free-to-play and activate at 7pm CEST / 1pm ET / 3am AET on 21st May.
You can preload it now!
Keep updated on the latest Gaming News by following GameWatcher on Twitter, check out our videos on YouTube, or by giving us a follow on Google News.
