An XDefiant developer confirmed that the game will implement a prestige system similar to the one seen in classic Call of Duty titles. Ubisoft's XDefiant, which has positioned itself as a direct competitor to Call of Duty, is still without a release date.

XDefiant was originally slated to release in Summer 2023 until it was pushed back to a Q4 2023 release. Fans eagerly awaited the game's launch until XDefiant again announced that the game was delayed, and this time indefinitely so. Its development team was vague about what specific issues were plaguing the game's development, but these problems likely weren't trivial, seeing that the game is still without a release date going into 2024. In the meantime, an XDefiant developer shared new information regarding the game's features.

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Mark Rubin, XDefiant's executive producer and former Call of Duty executive producer, explained that the game will feature a prestige system based on the ones seen in classic Call of Duty games. What he means by this is that XDefiant will not feature seasonal prestiges or seasonal level caps, but instead will launch with something like 10-15 prestiges which players can progress through unimpeded, without being capped at a certain level each season. Rubin added that XDefiant is intended to last for years unlike Call of Duty's annual releases, so new prestiges will possibly be added as the game grows older. While this is probably a promising update for fans of classic Call of Duty games, this is just one of the ways that XDefiant plans to attract CoD fans to the new franchise.

Attributes of XDefiant's Prestige System

• No seasonal prestiges or seasonal level caps
• Possible updates that add more prestiges as the game grows older
• Will launch with 10-15 prestiges (if XDefiant closely mimics the classic Call of Duty prestige system)

XDefiant is utilizing a plethora of features to convince Call of Duty fans, or just FPS fans, to try out Ubisoft's new game. Skill-based matchmaking, or SBMM, became a hot topic among Call of Duty fans over recent years. XDefiant confirmed that no playlists will utilize this mechanic, other than Ranked playlists and the game's Welcome playlist which is intended for newcomers. It'll be interesting to see how the total lack of SBMM will impact the matchmaking of a twitchy, competitive-ish FPS game, which is a rare occurrence in today's multiplayer titles. Other features that might attract Call of Duty fans who are looking for something new include operator abilities, no tactical sprint, and a free-to-play model.

In addition to features that have already been confirmed, fans have daydreamed about how XDefiant could further outdo Call of Duty. These possible strategies include less egregious microtransactions, more maps, and better battle pass rewards. Ubisoft will need to put in massive amounts of effort if it wishes to challenge Call of Duty on its high mountaintop, so it's certainly possible that strategies similar to these will be implemented.

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

Developer(s)

Ubisoft San Francisco

Publisher(s)

Ubisoft

Genre(s)

FPS