I had a lot of fun playing XDefiant. I must admit that I wasn’t particularly fond of the game before it was released. I didn’t play any early access or beta versions, nor did I attend any media previews or anything like that. Given the plethora of great games available this time of year, I decided to boot up the game and give it a try when it was released, just like everyone else. I must say it was a pretty awesome try – but I’m not sure how well it will last.
I should stress right away that these concerns are not rooted in anything the XDefiant team has done. The game looks — at least to someone who puts in about two hours a night — well-balanced, fast-paced, and a loving imitation of many of Ubisoft’s modern franchises. These concerns are rooted entirely in external factors: the upcoming release of the new Call of Duty and an overall difficult industry climate.
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Let’s start with Call of Duty – because it’s the obvious and huge obstacle to long-term success for any fast-paced arcade FPS right now. It’s no secret that the release of a big AAA game sucks oxygen away from the competition. Just look at the otherwise cool games that have been swallowed up by the attention of games like Baldur’s Gate 3, Elden Ring, etc. The effect is even more pronounced when a big game in the same genre as yours is released. MMORPGs with a dedicated and loyal audience can see a sharp drop in player numbers when World of Warcraft or Final Fantasy 14 release a new expansion. This is the reality of the longevity of live services that come with these game releases.
This isn’t as much of an issue for FPS games, as the big hitters are sleeping most of the time. Battlefield, well, it had its glory days. The same can be said of Call of Duty – its latest release was a disappointment to casual and competitive fans alike. That, combined with the ups and downs of Warzone, has given the underdogs a refreshing respite to enjoy and thrive. It was during this time that the Grand Finals kicked off for the first time, and we even saw games like BattleBit Rem astered get some time in the sun.
But, like most games of this type, attention eventually shifted elsewhere. New games promised newer ways to play and cater to the evolving needs of players, and people wanted to try them out. Another game I had a lot of fun playing, The Finals, reportedly performed below expectations in its second season. BattleBit still has a loyal community and is still great, but it’s a far cry from its original explosive release. In a space where free-to-play games are constantly emerging, players are used to picking up a game, trying it out, and then moving on.
It’s hard to imagine XDefiant suffering the same fate, then – especially when the next competitor ready to lure players away is none other than big brother Call of Duty. It’s probably the most gravitational pull in the FPS genre, pulling teenagers and dads alike into its orbit like a Funko Pop stand, a hot BBQ, or Frosty Jacks. There’s good news on that front, though! Ubisoft has done a pretty good job of maintaining support for its multiplayer games anyway. For Honor is still going strong (thank god – it’s one of the best games they’ve ever made, in my opinion), and it’s not the most popular game of all time. As long as the game isn’t *super* old, like Far Cry 3 or Assassin’s Creed 2, you should be able to play it for a while.
But the current state of the industry as a whole is not a happy one, with people fighting a brutal battle for their time and money. XDefiant includes cosmetic DLC and a battle pass – the norm for multiplayer games these days. I do hope it finds its audience and that they can invest enough money to keep it afloat, but if you look back at the past few years of Wasteland and the many other good games that fell by the wayside (or shut down entirely), it’s hard to laugh and say XDefiant is going to be okay. They’ve got shotguns and cool Echelon skins, but they’re in absolute trouble.
So if you’re interested in this game right now, go check it out. Give it a try, and throw some money at them if you’re so inclined. Whatever the future holds for XDefiant, right now is the honeymoon period, where everyone is trying it out and having fun figuring it all out. Who knows, you might even decide to stick around longer than you expected.