The upcoming first-person shooter XDefiant has great news for skill-based matchmaking, with Ubisoft officially confirming that the feature will not be included in the casual playlists of the game. XDefiant is fast approaching its May 21 release date, and Ubisoft has now clarified one of gamers' biggest questions about the shooter.

Skill-based matchmaking has been a hot topic in FPS circles over the last few years. The feature attempts to connect players with other gamers of a similar skill level in matchmaking games, which, in theory, results in games that are consistently much closer. This helps low-skill gamers not get stomped in every match, which is huge for retaining players for long periods of time. The Call of Duty series is notable for employing the use of skill-based matchmaking, but critics argue that it makes for a much less rewarding experience for players who are great at a game. With XDefiant wanting to differentiate itself from Call of Duty in several key ways, this could be the perfect move.

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As first reported by IGN, a post on the Ubisoft website confirms that skill-based matchmaking will not be included in XDefiant's casual playlists. The post clarifies that "We believe that no SBMM is paramount to a fun and varied game experience in the long term," claiming it makes casual matches "repetitive," creating "matches that are just as stressful and matched as ranked." If XDefiant is looking to outdo Call of Duty, this could be the perfect way forward.

Ubisoft Confirms No Skill-Based Matchmaking in XDefiant

With no skill-based matchmaking, XDefiant will instead place a priority on fast connection times for casual play. When it comes to ranked play, XDefiant will connect players within a certain rank range, and it makes sense to have this in place for the competitive modes. However, ranked play will be added after the initial launch of XDefiant, so players will have the chance to hone their skills in casual first.

With XDefiant's release just around the corner, the hype continues to grow for Ubisoft's flagship Call of Duty competitor. It will be a big task to take on the juggernaut, and Ubisoft has already revealed that a few features from Call of Duty will be present in its own title in order to get an edge. A few months back, it was revealed that XDefiant will have a Prestige system of its own, which will be a great way to keep gamers playing for a long time to come. Hopefully, the game lives up to the hype, as more competition in the casual shooter space is always a good thing.

XDefiant

Ubisoft's XDefiant is an online PvP shooter that focuses on fast-paced team-based gameplay. Taking inspiration from the publisher's popular IPs, the game features factions and characters that represent franchises like Splinter Cell and Far Cry. Available on most modern systems, XDefiant is a free-to-play project.

Platform(s)

PC , PS5 , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S

Released

May 21, 2024

Developer(s)

Ubisoft San Francisco

Publisher(s)

Ubisoft

Genre(s)

FPS