If many years of Call of Duty, Counter-Strike 2, and Apex Legends have you in the market for a new FPS game, XDefiant is a solid contender. The Ubisoft multiplayer shooter has seen a largely positive response since its launch in May, with some excellent map design and a developer that’s actively making changes based on community feedback. It hasn’t been without its issues, however, something executive producer Mark Rubin addresses in answer to claims the game was rushed out.
Since launch, Ubisoft has made quite a few changes to XDefiant. Nerfs to player aim while moving around were deployed to prevent players from gaining the upper hand by constantly bouncing about with the jump and crouch keys. A controversial XDefiant weapon XP change, meanwhile, was quickly reverted after a negative response to the way it slowed down the ability to earn weapon mastery and skins in the FPS game.
It’s been refreshing to see the team adapting to feedback and being prepared to adjust fundamental systems. Despite that, some of those more dramatic changes, along with ongoing bugs, performance troubles, and other issues as its first season begins, have sparked questions about whether Ubisoft made the decision to launch the game earlier than planned.
Instead, the game’s producer points to the Snowdrop engine, used for The Division and its sequel, and which is also being used for the upcoming Star Wars Outlaws. Asked whether XDefiant was rushed out to get ahead of GTA 6 and the Black Ops 6 release date, Rubin responds, “No. What we have is an engine that has only ever been an MMO. And so all of the infrastructure for an FPS has had to be built up from the ground floor.”
“Even CoD started on ID tech which was a shooter engine. Apex started on a shooter engine. But for us we are working on developing all-new tech in an engine that was designed for something else,” he continues. “That being said, the engine is really great but it does require a lot of work and with that work comes a lot of bugs that other engines have already worked out.”
“We’re not a shooter that’s been out for 20 years. If you like what we are trying to do, stick around and you’ll see things improve and new features get added,” Rubin says. “But if the game isn’t for you, that’s okay – you can move on.”
If you’re continuing with it for now, get up to speed on the best XDefiant weapons for any situation, along with the best XDefiant loadouts to complement them in the current meta.
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