The real test of XDefiant’s appeal begins with XDefiant Season 1, as Ubisoft launches the FPS game’s first major update across PS5 and Xbox platforms. With new maps, weapons, modes, and a badass Rainbow Six Siege faction to wield control of, you might be distracted from the nerfs that Ubisoft is deploying under your nose. From less XP gains to gadget tweaks, can you handle the heat Season is throwing down?
Well, if anything, XDefiant is leaning toward cooldowns rather than heating up, as Ubisoft’s latest patch for the FPS game is packed with gadget timer increases. XDefiant factions such as DedSec, Libertads, Phantoms, and the Third Echelon are all getting various adjustments, meaning you’ll need to lean on your accuracy and reflexes more than ever in the midst of battle. According to Ubisoft, here’s what gadget changes are now live:
- Increased the cooldown of Echelon’s Intel Suit from 30 to 40 seconds
- Tuned the cooldown of the Phantoms’ Mag Barrier from 30 to 40 seconds. Mag Barrier hit points were also reduced from 500 to 400
- The Phantoms’ AEGIS now takes damage from EMP grenades (lob six to put it out of commission)
- DedSec Hijack cooldown decreased from 28 seconds (plus the remaining duration of the hacked skill) to 20 seconds (plus the remaining duration of the hacked skill).
- For example, let’s say a Mag Barrier has 7 seconds left and gets hacked: The cooldown becomes 20 plus 7 seconds. Failed Hijack cooldown, meanwhile, decreases from 8 to 5 seconds
- DedSec’s Spiderbot cooldown increased from 25 to 40 seconds
For those of you who prefer to tech-it-up with the DedSec class, it is a mostly beneficial set of change ups, as the multiplayer game’s hacking ability becomes a tad easier to pull off. However, what we’re glad to see is the wrath of the Spiderbot reduced with a timer reduction, and modifications to the gadget’s attack approach. Getting swarmed by multiple Spiderbots just isn’t fun, like at all, so it is refreshing to see Ubisoft deal with the following issue: “Adjusted Spiderbot behavior so multiple Spiderbots won’t attempt to hug the same face, nor will Spiderbots continue to ignore faces they’ve hugged multiple recent times.”
Libertad players can also wield a cooldown for the BioVida Boost, which now sees its timer reduced from 25 seconds to 20. With this ability allowing Libertad players to scale up their health exponentially in a short timespan, we’re a little concerned this could be the start of something, well, annoying in the arena. Combating the health boost is already a pain in the ass, as your efforts to mow down your foes are made redundant in an instant. Luckily, there are multiple new XDefiant weapons to use within the ever-changing XDefiant meta:
- Added the L115 sniper rifle, which is not quite as heavy as the TAC-50 and has faster handling, although it deals slightly less damage and is not as effective at penetrating cover
- Added the LVOA-C, a snazzy customized rifle similar to the M4A1. It has a much faster rate of fire than the M4A1, but with that comes more recoil and less range. It also has slightly longer reload and equip times
- Added the Sawed Off secondary weapon. This close-range version of the double-barreled shotgun packs a big boom for its size. Imagine carrying a primary weapon in your secondary slot and that’s this
- Added new Mastery skins: Titanium Violet (unlocked at Weapon Level 300), Titanium Azure (unlocked at 350), and Titanium Prisma (unlocked at 400)
We’ve had some hands-on time already with these guns, and the LVOA-C assault rifle is quickly becoming an essential component for the best XDefiant loadouts you can craft. The lack of extended range compared to the M4A1 can be a drawback, but we’ll gladly welcome its solid recoil pattern. Just don’t get caught out trying to reload it.
Despite some pesky nerfs, XDefiant Season 1 is kicking off strong. With Ranked Mode adding a sweatier edge to proceedings, we’ve made sure you’ve got all the information you need to know before you start earning your stripes.
In other gaming news, rival shooter Concord won’t be too much of a burden on your wallet, and The Finals shifts World Tour mode into brand-new territory.