What you need to know
- Ubisoft just announced Tom Clancy's XDefiant, a free-to-play multiplayer shooter in the Tom Clancy universe.
- The game wants to offer a wide array of ways to play and customize for all manner of FPS fans.
- XDefiant is a live service game, with Ubisoft committing to supporting the game long after launch with the community.
- The game doesn't have a release date yet, but you can now sign-up for a chance to play XDefiant early.
During a livestream event, Ubisoft officially took the wraps off the latest entry in the Tom Clancy video game universe: XDefiant. A free-to-play live service multiplayer shooter, XDefiant wants to set itself apart in the incredibly competitive shooter genre with customizable loadouts and gameplay. While possibly not what fans were expecting from a new Tom Clancy game (this isn't a new Splinter Cell), XDefiant takes from many Tom Clancy franchises, including The Division, Ghost Recon, Rainbow Six, and more.
XDefiant looks a lot like many other first-person shooters that are currently available, but Ubisoft claims they've put a lot of time into nailing the fundamentals while giving players control with factions, gear, customizable loadouts, and more. XDefiant wants to be appealing to casual players and competitive FPS veterans, with promised post-launch support from the Ubisoft San Francisco team.
The game doesn't have a release date at the moment, but you can sign-up for a chance to play XDefiant early on the Ubisoft website (opens in new tab). The first playtest will be available on Aug. 5, 2021 for PC players. We do know that XDefiant is releasing for Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, PC, Stadia, and Luna platforms.
The first-person shooter genre is among the most competitive and chaotic in gaming, and Ubisoft doesn't have the best track record when it comes to support live service games after launch. It'll be interesting to see how XDefiant delivers on its promises, and if it can successfully differentiate itself from the established franchises that currently dominate the field. It's, of course, too early to tell if XDefiant will make it onto our list of best Xbox multiplayer shooters when it officially launches in the future.
