XDefiant exclusive hands-on impression: A worthy Call of Duty competitor in making?

Ubisoft is bringing its own version of the first-person arena shooter named XDefiant and it will be a free-to-play title. We recently had the opportunity to take part in a short briefing and beta session of the game with a handful of participants and from a very early perspective, this game might be bliss for the FPS community that wanted a fresh experience for a long time.

As an ardent fan of the Call of Duty franchise, I’m always looking for games with similar intensity to provide a massive adrenaline rush. I had my eyes on XDefiant for a very long time, but after it got criticized during its first introduction two years ago, the devs went silent. The franchise has taken multiple feedback from the community and the game is now ready to have its own global closed beta session with selected participants.

As more information and a detailed overview of the game will come as soon as possible, there is no harm in sharing what we experienced during the event and we can assure you that it will be worth your time.

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Ubisoft's XDefiant is a fresh new experience for the FPS community

Gameplay snippet from Xdefiant closed beta (Image via Ubisoft)

If you are a fan of the Call of Duty: Black Ops series, you are bound to love XDefiant from the get-go. The game has a similar arcade-ish style with players having different abilities to play the game in a much more diverse way. The cherry on top is getting different operators as factions from previous Ubisoft classics. There were operators from games like Watch Dogs 2, Splinter Cell, Ghost Recon series, Far Cry 6, and The Division.

While I did not have much time to explore more in the game, the experience I had was probably one of the most fun ones in recent times while playing an arena shooter. The movement felt fluid, the gunplay was decent and the most important thing is that you'll feel rewarded when you get a kill.

Gameplay snippet from Xdefiant closed beta (Image via Ubisoft)

One of the best features of the game is the ability that players can use to gain an advantage over others. From being invisible to Pyro Technician, the game allows players to use a number of traits to exploit and be creative while playing. Another thing that needs to be mentioned is that the game will not have Skill Based Matchmaking and it will be like a very vintage experience from the past.

As for the maps, modes, and other features like adding weapon attachments and more, we did not have enough time to give a full impression. However, the closed beta is live right now and you can expect to receive a complete hands-on preview from our end as soon as possible.

Gameplay snippet from Xdefiant closed beta (Image via Ubisoft)

As per my limited experience with early access, XDefiant felt like a love letter to the FPS community who have been waiting for a long time to get that vintage nostalgia back in a modern setting. While it is too early to give an impression, the game has the capability to flourish if everything goes in the right direction in the near future. Furthermore, with Call of Duty constantly disappointing their community, it is a good time to have some competition in the same genre.

Will XDefiant live up to the hype and be a worthy competitor to Call of Duty? Stay tuned to Sportskeeda's Esports and Gaming section to get a full review of the closed beta soon.