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xdefiant westerm map
Image via Ubisoft

5 game modes XDefiant needs

An FPS with no team deathmatch? In this economy?

XDefiant launched with a respectable number of game modes to keep players entertained, but it could use a few more. Some would be nice additions and others are borderline essential for an FPS.

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We need these game modes in XDefiant

Faction select menu in XDefiant with high FPS counter in the top left corner.
That’s a lot of frames. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Ubisoft’s XDefiant roadmap says five new modes will be coming over the next year, but it doesn’t specify what those modes will be outside of the “Arena” and “Progression” categories. These are a few that we think should be there.

Capture the Flag

xdefiant launch trailer footage
Sliding into action. Image via Ubisoft

XDefiant‘s level of speed feels incredible. You can fly across the map in seconds with a mobile gun like your secondary equipped, and the slide is so smooth and satisfying. This is the perfect game for a mode like Capture the Flag. The map design complements this game mode with multiple lanes to give you plenty of freedom when deciding how to enter enemy territory and get back to your own.

Search and Destroy

xdefiant splinter cell launch trailer
Sneaking into action. Image via Ubisoft

The cool thing about Search and Destroy is it takes a fast-paced game like XDefiant and forces players into caution. You must move carefully and be mindful of the lanes and dangerous corners. A game mode like this can flip the meta on its head, invalidating weapons that work in the modes where you’re encouraged to run as fast as possible and let it fly. Ubisoft could even take a Counter-Strike approach and add a weapon-buy system to a game mode like this.

Gun Game

xdefiant 686 magnum gameplay
Wielding the 686. Screenshot by Dot Esports

This game mode is a classic in Call of Duty. It’s frustrating when you’re stuck on one weapon for a long time, but exciting when you finally build that momentum and push through several guns quickly. A mode like Gun Game would feel best on XDefiant’s smaller maps like Arena and Echelon HQ, where you wouldn’t have to worry about running for long periods without seeing anyone.

Private lobbies

xdefiant firing range ak-47
The only place to be alone in XDefiant. Screenshot by Dot Esports

This one isn’t technically a game mode in the same vein as the others. But it is a way of approaching multiplayer matches that’s unfortunately unavailable in XDefiant now. The ability to host matches with your friends or a select group of players is a great way to foster the community. It allows players to experiment with custom modes and host their own competitive tournaments. Private lobbies are an important part of other shooters that Ubisoft should not neglect in XDefiant.

Team Deathmatch

xdefiant launch trailer gameplay footage
Staring down the enemy. Image via Ubisoft

This is the most obvious choice. Ubisoft isn’t wrong for wanting XDefiant to be about more than just who can get the highest kill streak, but players will play that way regardless. There might as well be a game mode that allows those players to try and rack up the best K/D possible. Team Deathmatch is the most mindless game mode out there, but it’s also a load of fun, and it would fit XDefiant like a glove.


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Author
Image of Nickolas Davis
Nickolas Davis
Freelance writer at Dot Esports. Covering all topics gaming, travel, politics, and music-related since 2021. Also occasionally writes music and fiction under the pen name Saz. Published in Madness Heart Press, The Chamber Magazine, and The NoSleep Podcast.