The cel-shaded visuals might have failed to impress when this one debuted as ‘Tom Clancy’s XDefiant’ back in 2021, but, after almost two years of radio silence, Ubisoft’s foray into the world of competitive shooters has returned with a shiny fresh coat of paint. Ditching the cartoony punk-rock inspired art direction in favour of a more grounded feel, XDefiant is now gunning for a place among today’s hardcore military greats.
The overhaul isn’t purely cosmetic, though, and the quiet removal of the Tom Clancy moniker is emblematic of a wider change in course. Built around a unique faction system, what was initially revealed to be a roster containing four groups from across the Clancy-verse has grown to encompass some of Ubisoft’s other most popular properties. Thanks to new arrivals repping Watch Dogs’ DedSec and Far Cry 6’s Libertad, XDefiant has morphed into a full-on crossover shooter with plenty of room for future expansion. Still, in a competitive climate where countless other free-to-play titles have failed to find a footing, it is going to need more than a tangential connection to these big names in order to make much of a dent.
PICK AND MIX
Fortunately, after spending several enjoyable hours defying enemy teams with bullets in a beta build, we can say the
