Skip to main content

XDefiant is getting some massive updates for its Season 1 launch

XDefiant: Season One Reveal | Ubisoft Forward
Summer Gaming Marathon Feature Image
This story is part of our Summer Gaming Marathon series.

XDefiant, Ubisoft’s PVP free-to-play shooter, is going strong after a release last month, and its upcoming first season is adding a ton of new features for the players who’ve stuck around.

The studio showed off the highlights during the Ubisoft Forward on Monday, and it’s looking like a full slate for its July 2 launch. Ubisoft had previously released a seasonal roadmap, which teased that the game would be getting a new faction, new maps, new weapons, and more. The announcement confirms a lot of these details for its first season.

One of the more interesting announcements involves a new map each month. For Season 1, players will get three maps: Clubhouse, Daytona, and Rockefeller. Live service games releasing maps isn’t anything new, but one new map per month is quite a lofty goal.

Ubisoft also announced a new XDefiant faction: GSK from the Rainbow Six series. There will be a new ranked progression system, which will give players rewards if they make their way through it. Finally, there’s upcoming capture the flag mode, putting it in line with a lot of its competition in terms of gameplay.

The studio is also celebrating the announcement with some free goodies. If people log in and play the game within the next 48 hours, they’ll also get three free eruption skins.

There’s going to be plenty of more coming up, and Ubisoft will be doing a full reveal on July 1.

XDefiant had a rocky launch, with server issues that made the online game unplayable. However, it’s continued on and, according to Insider Gaming, has been a big success for the studio.

Carli Velocci
Carli is a technology, culture, and games editor and journalist. They were the Gaming Lead and Copy Chief at Windows Central…
I played Monster Hunter Wilds, and it’s already a thrill
A hunter runs through a lightning storm in Monster Hunter Wilds.

I've always seen Monster Hunter as a cinematic game, though perhaps not in the way that many gamers picture when they hear the word. I'm not talking about big-budget cutscenes. Rather, spectacle is baked into its world. There's no greater thrill than watching on as the titanic beast I'm tracking suddenly gets attacked by another creature. It's like watching a kaiju battle unfold organically.

With Monster Hunter Wilds, though, Capcom is upping the ante. In a 90-minute demo, I played through the upcoming action RPG's first two missions. They were standard hunts against towering beasts, but something was different this time. A larger emphasis on thrilling cutscenes and cinematic set pieces took center stage between my normal hacking and slashing. That makes for a sequel that takes Monster Hunter to the next level, unlocking its blockbuster potential.
More cinematic
When my demo begins, I'm sailing on an ocean of sand with a crew of ragtag characters. After getting briefed on a monster in the area, the dreaded White Wraithe, I'm treated to an action-packed sequence. I see sandworms chasing a character in the distance, as if I'm watching a scene out of Dune. My hero leaps from the side of the ship and lands on a Seikret and gives chase. As I gain control of my character, I'm suddenly in a chase sequence. Worms leap around me, and I have to knock them off my trail with my slingshot. It's positively dazzling.

Read more
Nintendo Direct August 2024: How to watch and what to expect
Lego Aloy talking to Lego hotdog guy with a machine behind her ready to attack.

It seems like only yesterday when we last got a Nintendo Direct. OK, it was in June, but it was packed with announcements like a new Zelda game and confirmation that Metroid Prime 4: Beyond  is not only happening, but is set for next year. Apparently there's more to show as Nintendo is holding yet another Nintendo Direct, coupled with an Indie World Showcase, on Tuesday, August 27.

The last Direct filled out the rest of Nintendo's 2024 release schedule, so what else could it have in store from its partners? Will we finally get news about Hollow Knight: Silksong? Here's what you need to know to tune in.
When is the August 2024 Nintendo Direct?
The Indie World Showcase/Nintendo Partner Showcase double feature will begin at 7 a.m. PT on August 27 and last "roughly 40 minutes in total."

Read more
Towerborne is a live-service beat ’em up — and that wild idea actually works
towerborne preview live service beat em up key art

Whenever I'm in a gaming rut and not sure what to play, I know I can always boot up a beat 'em up like Street of Rage 4, Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons, or Castle Crashers and have a good time. If I'm just in the mood for some mindless action, I can button-mash my way through levels as a superpowered fighter. If I want something more involved, I'll take the time to learn and execute powerful combos, as well as find ways to engage with the game's systems on a deeper level. Developer Stoic smartly recognized that this is a kind of game loop common in many live service games, so it's working with Xbox Game Studios to make a live service beat 'em up called Towerborne.

Towerborne will enter early access on Steam next month, but I had the chance to play it early at an Xbox event in Los Angeles. While I wasn't able to go hands-on with most of the social-focused systems that will make Towerborne stand out from the crowd, I can attest to its solid fantasy beat 'em up core that I can see myself sinking countless hours into when I'm back in one of those gaming ruts.

Read more