Ubisoft's xDefiant hero shooter is 'FPS meets punk rock mosh pit'

Ubisoft's new free-to-play Tom Clancy's xDefiant is a hero shooter with heavy emphasis on gunplay.

Today Ubisoft San Francisco announced xDefiant, a new free-to-play 6vs6 arena shooter with playable characters straight Tom Clancy IPs like Splinter Cell, Ghost Recon, and The Division. xDefiant is described as "fast-paced firefights meets punk rock mosh pit" with a strong emphasis on gunplay, similar to Riot's competitive shooter Valorant.

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xDefiant has different factions lifted right out of Ubisoft's previous games, including the Wolves from Ghost Recon Breakpoint, the Cleaners and Outcasts from The Division, and Splinter Cell's elite Echelon operatives. Each faction has their own unique abilities--the Echelon can see through walls using special goggles, for example, and the Outcasts can pop up a proximity heal. The devs say xDefiant will have new characters not found in other games.

While xDefiant has class-specific hero abilities, Ubisoft is committed to the FPS mechanics. "We are a shooter first."

"We have an ever-growing arsenal of authentic weapons and attachments. We've put a lot of care into how our weapons look and feel. We've crafted every weapon attachment for precise, satisfying gunplay," xDefiant executive producer Mark Rubin said.

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• Hero abilities
• "Reasonably fast" time to kill
• 4 factions based on Tom Clancy games
• 6v6 arena combat
• Mix and match any weapon or faction loadout
• Heavy emphasis on accuracy/gun customization

Early access will begin on August 5, and you can register for a chance to play here.

xDefiant will join other Ubisoft shooters like Ghost Recon Breakpoint, The Division 2, Rainbow Six Siege, and the new Division Heartlands.

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