Whether you like to play as a healer or a stealthy spy, there’s lots of variety among the XDefiant classes. Ubisoft’s arena shooter has a bit of something for everyone, no matter your preferred playstyle. With all that variety though, it might be hard to pick or understand what each class can do. Fret not, this guide has all the details you need about XDefiant’s classes, including their abilities and their inspirations.
No matter which of the XDefiant classes you end up picking, you’ll also need to understand the XDefiant weapons at your disposal. Fret not though, a glance at our XDefiant meta guide will show you exactly which combinations of weapons, gear, and classes are the most potent and provides loads of loadout suggestions.
All XDefiant classes
The XDefiant classes are:
- Libertad
- Phantoms
- Echelon
- Cleaners
- DedSec
Also referred to as ‘Factions’ in-game, each of these classes specializes in a certain role. When thinking about which class to pick before a match, make sure their abilities not align with your playstyle but also the situation, as some will be better suited to certain XDefiant maps or XDefiant game modes.
For example, Phantoms are great for capturing and pushing objectives as their abilities help to control the battlefield, so they’d be great for modes like Occupy.
It’s also worth considering what classes your teammates have picked – even if a class is great for a certain map or mode, having a team of exclusively that Faction isn’t the best decision. So, if in the match preview screen you already see two or three of the same class, picking something else is probably wise to offer your team something different.
We’ve already had plenty of time getting to know the classes ourselves, but the breakdown video below from Ubisoft will also help you understand the class system and see the Factions in action.
Below you can find more information about the classes, including the ultra, passive trait, and abilities of each class.
Libertad
Inspired by the rebel group from Far Cry 6, the Libertad freedom fighters are expert medics, no doubt thanks to the BioVida therapies they adapted for battlefield situations. You’ll need them on your team to stay alive and in the fight. This class has undoubtedly ruled the meta since the first beta period, and that trend will likely continue simply due to how useful the ability to heal on demands can be. Thanks to this, they also work with just about any of the best XDefiant loadouts, so pick your favorite.
Here are the Libertad abilities:
- Médico Supremo (Ultra) – provides a large health and healing boost for a limited time
- Espíritu de Libertad (Passive) – slowly heals you and nearby allies
- El Remedio (Ability) – heals allies until it is destroyed or cancelled
- BioVida Boost (Ability) – boosts total health and regen for you and nearby allies
Phantoms
The Phantoms are ex-Ghosts from the Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon series who specialize in battlefield control. Through tanky and defensive abilities, Phantoms are the perfect control class. This makes them great for more objective based game modes like Occupy and Escort. And if you want the ultimate combo, pair the Phantom class with setups like the best XDefiant M249 loadout or XDefiant MK 20 loadout, as these are great for controlling lanes and objectives.
Here are the Phantom abilities:
- Aegis (Ultra) – plasma shield with an electro-scattergun for close-quarters combat
- Hardened (Passive) – increased health
- Mag Barrier (Ability) – blocks incoming enemy fire and grenades
- Blitz Shield (Ability) – equip a tactical shield to block and melee enemies
Echelon
Hailing from the Splinter Cell franchise, the Echelon are expert spies adept in reconnaissance and subterfuge. This makes them an exciting stealth and spy class in XDefiant. If helping your team out through utility and stealth is your style, then the Echelon class is for you. They also work very well with SMG builds like the XDefiant Vector loadout and XDefiant MP7 loadout, some of the best weapons right now. Echelon gives you the perfect opportunity to get the drop on your enemy with these weapons, so give these deadly combos a go.
Here are the Echelon abilities:
- Sonar Goggles (Ultra) – reveal enemies and hunt them down with the classic Third Echelon 5.7 pistol
- Low Profile (Passive) – agent does not appear on enemy mini maps
- Intel Suit (Ability) – shares the location of nearby enemies with your team
- Digital Ghillie Suit (Ability) – renders the agent nearly invisible, but movement and aiming reduce the effect
Cleaners
A group you’ll recognize if you’ve played The Division, the Cleaners use fire as their solution to everything, making them the main assault and area denial class in XDefiant. You’ll need a Cleaner on your team to stay on the offensive and push enemies out of strong positions. Given how versatile this Faction can be, they work well with just about anything, from the best XDefiant ACR loadout to the XDefiant MP5 loadout. Perhaps most interestingly though, the Cleaner’s passive can be used to make Dragon’s Breath shotguns out of builds like the XDefiant M870 loadout.
Here are the Cleaner abilities:
- The Purifier (Ultra) – wield a flamethrower
- Incendiary Rounds (Passive) – inflicts extra burn damage but decreases weapon range
- Incinerator Drone (Ability) – a napalm-delivering drone burns everything in its path
- Firebomb (Ability) – throw a Molotov to cause explosive damage and ignite the surrounding area
Hacker – DedSec abilities
DedSec are renowned hackers and experts in all things chaos and disruption that stem from the Watch Dogs games. In XDefiant, this class frustrates the enemy team by deploying stun robots, disabling HUDs and mini maps, and much more. Again, DedSec are surprisingly versatile, pairing well with any weapon you use. You could use the Spiderbot in tandem with the XDefiant TAC-50 loadout to line up headshots, or you could dive right in with a close-range XDefiant P90 loadout.
Here are the DedSec abilities:
- Lockout (Ultra) – disable the enemies’ HUD, mini map, and abilities in the affected area
- Fabricator (Passive) – after a device is deployed, the Fabricator prints a new one
- Spiderbot (Ability) – deploy a SpiderBot that will target and stun the nearest enemy
- Hijack (Ability) – hack enemy-deployed abilities and make them your own
These are all the XDefiant classes you can play as, but Ubisoft has already revealed that a fresh Faction will be added at the start of every new season – that means there’ll be a new class every three months or so! As these are added to the game, we’ll update this guide for you.
What is the best XDefiant class?
As we’ve alluded to, the ‘best’ class for the job in XDefiant often comes down to your personal playstyle, the map and mode you’re playing on, and what other Factions your teammates have selected.
All of the game’s classes are viable, but if we had to pick one class to call the best, we’d probably go for Libertad. The healing abilities you get for not just yourself but teammates too are incredibly powerful. While aggressive, kill-hungry players love this class as they can play quite selfishly with it, it can also be utilized in more tactical ways that benefit your team – chucking a healing canister down on an objective goes a long way to helping your team capture or hold it.
Before jumping into XDefiant, be sure to check out the best XDefiant settings for controller players – they’ll make a surprisingly-big difference to your gameplay.