Summary
The first in-game season forXDefiantis set to launch on July 2, and it is already shaping up to give the game a much-needed boost of fresh content. While the title is still understandably finding its feet in terms of weapon balancing and movement fine-tuning, fans have a lot to look forward to when Season One finally comes out. Like many modern releases, new maps, operators, weapons, and game modes are set to be at the center of these in-game seasons.
For example, the development team forXDefiantrecently confirmed that iconic game modes like Team Deathmatch and Search and Destroy will be coming to the title in the near future, although it is unclear if these will be introduced in time for the launch of Season One. It is known, however, that a brand-new faction will be coming toXDefiantwith the release of Season One, known as GSK. Fans ofRainbow Six Siegemay recognize GSK as a part of Team Rainbow, and Ubisoft may have only just begun tapping into a collaborative goldmine with the tactical shooter.
The Collaborations Between XDefiant and Rainbow Six Siege Are Probably Just Beginning
XDefiantis a blend of two very popular genres: hero shooters and arena shooters, with both of these game types having very saturated markets. It was always obvious that a project likeXDefiantwould need a unique selling point to stand out in the crowd, and Ubisoft has achieved this by leveraging the many franchises that fall under its name.
XDefiantalready features playable factions from a range of Ubisoft’s most popular IPs, with factions fromFar Cry,Watch Dogs,The Division,Ghost Recon, andSplinter Cellbeing present. This makes the free-to-playXDefianta unique celebration of Ubisoft’s greatest hits, and there are still some massively popular franchises that are yet to be introduced. While rumors suggest that anAssassin’s Creedfaction is set to be added at some point, it is already confirmed thatRainbow Six Siegeis about to make an explosive entrance inXDefiant.
Alongside new weapons, game modes, and maps, the GSK faction will be added toXDefianton July 2, seemingly featuring theRainbow Sixcharacters Bandit, Jager, and Blitzas its playable operators. From the first looks at this new faction, it seems that GSK will have new abilities inspired byRainbow Sixsuch as deployable barbed wire, Jager’s ADS trophy system, a new explosive ability, and an ultimate ability involving a riot shield.
XDefiant Can Shift Between Arena and Tactical Gameplay Through More Rainbow Six Siege Collaborations
WhileRainbow Sixhas a much more tactical gameplay focus compared toXDefiant, the inbound addition of tense modes like Search and Destroy could perfectly lend themselves to moreRainbow Six-inspired mechanics.Siegeis by far the most popular and established shooter that currently falls under the Ubisoft name, andXDefianthas almost a decade ofRainbow Sixcontent to borrow from going forward.
For example,Rainbow Sixhas a staggering 71 playable operators to choose from, each with unique abilities and weapon selections, andXDefiantcan borrow from this pool for the foreseeable future. It seems likely thatRainbow Sixwill end up having multiple factions inXDefiant, perhaps focusing on different defensive and offensive abilities, but this ultimately seems like the perfect way to offer a more tactical side to the game. As the scope ofXDefiant’s gameplay grows through new post-launch game modes,Rainbow Six Siegemay provide the perfect base of content to help ease the title into whatever comes next.
