Does XDefiant have the potential to kill Call of Duty?

If anyone has played the closed beta of XDefiant, they will realize the uncanny similarities with the Call of Duty games. In all fairness, such a comparison would seem premature as much work is left on Ubisoft’s part. As enjoyable as the closed beta has been for the community, it’s pretty barebones compared to popular PvP-centric live service titles. This is along the expected lines since the objective of the closed beta is to collect feedback. Ubisoft has enabled access to all weapons for beta testers because they can fine-tune the game before the full release.

Most of the appreciation has come from Call of Duty players, who have particularly enjoyed the PvP aspect. This opens up a possible discussion about whether Ubisoft will manage to compete with Activision Blizzard in the coming days.

---

A great post-beta development cycle will allow XDefiant to compete with Call of Duty

Any game with realistic weapons, squad vs. squad action, and an FPS setting is bound to be compared to Call of Duty. The franchise is arguably the biggest military shooter on the market, with several games that have done well critically and commercially.

While the franchise continues to be a juggernaut in the gaming world, some murmurs of discontent have been brewing for quite some time. On the surface level, the franchise’s legacy remains untarnished. Modern Warfare 2 has found tremendous success, and Warzone 2’s incorporation has resulted in newfound popularity. Management-level decisions like returning to Steam have also yielded gold for Activision, resulting in greater accessibility.

However, things have been far from ideal as far as the community is concerned. The latest release is in its third season, and the multiplayer matches have not exceeded expectations. It seems to be an issue with the fundamentals since there’s no lack of gameplay options. There’s a healthy variety of game modes players can experience, and the rotational playlists ensure new events every week.

The issue with Call of Duty’s gameplay opens up the chance for XDefiant to come in. Many beta testers have claimed that the TTK (Time to Kill) makes Ubisoft’s shooter feel much more dynamic. Some have said it’s more “like COD” than Activision’s releases.

Could Ubisoft’s product compete with Activision’s military shooter? Yes, but it will require more effort than one might think. Things are always seen in a less-scrutinized fashion in beta tests since they represent an unfinished game. On several occasions, a game’s early promise has dwindled upon a full launch.

Moreover, XDefiant seems to be more focused on squad-based action. Team Death Match might be absent in the beta, but all the available game modes indicate the same – two squads battling each other. Ubisoft seems to have taken inspiration from other live-service models on the market (the Escort mode seems similar to Payload in Overwatch 2).

Call of Duty has adopted the battle royale mode very well, which has become a core part. There are even spinoffs like Resurgence, which builds on the traditional genre experience. Then comes the DMZ mode, popularized by games like Escape from Tarkov.

The challenge in front of XDefiant won’t be small as there are so many different degrees of community expectations. An excellent shooter experience might not win over fans who love battle royale. On the other hand, it could be a mess if Ubisoft tries to incorporate too many things in too little time.

There are very few instances in video games where one video game has wholly killed another. The task is even more unlikely when the franchise in question is Call of Duty. As for Ubisoft, the job will be to ensure that XDefiant matches the promise it currently shows in its closed beta.