XDefiant might still be shutting down, but Ubisoft has just dropped its biggest update yet with the arrival of Season 3. The struggling FPS now has multiple new factions, maps, game modes, and progression systems to get stuck into. That said, existing players still only have around six months until XDefiant is shut down forever, as the free-to-play game never quite found the playerbase it needed to survive. Ubisoft itself said XDefiant was a “high-risk, high-reward” venture, and it’s sad to know that the risk didn’t pay off.
Before we dive into what Season 3 offers in Ubisoft’s FPS game, you need to know what XDefiant shutting down means for the game. Existing players can jump into XDefiant until June 2025, but new players have no such luck. Ubisoft has removed XDefiant from all storefronts, so you’ll need to already have the game installed to give everything in Season 3 a go.
If you are getting into Season 3, it’s stacked. We’ve got three new factions in the Assassins (from Assassin’s Creed), Wolves (from Ghost Recon Breakpoint), and Blood Dragon (From Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon). XDefiant already features plenty of Ubisoft IP, and Season 3 has by far some of the most beloved. The previous two seasons only included one faction each, but this season is Ubisoft bringing everything it can to the table.
On top of the new factions, XDefiant Season 3 adds a collection of new maps. You can traverse the ancient Greek map of Mykonos, explore the corridor-style map of Animus Anomaly, and also dive into Jorvik and El Barrio as well. Ubisoft is dropping even more maps that were originally “scheduled for later seasons” before the shutdown was announced.
You can also expect some new game modes in XDefiant starting now. Defuse is a tactical and slower-paced version of Bomb used in corridor-style maps. Vs Bots pits you against AI that rewards XP at a slower rate. Lum Hunt is a variant of Hot Shot where you need to catch Lums across the map. Tilt is in linear playlists and tasks both teams with pushing around the robot Carlos as much as possible. Finally, Turbo XD is all about getting height, as the “gravity-defying” game mode lets you jump even more than usual.
Season 3 also comes with plenty of changes and additions to XDefiant’s progression system. Prestige is a new optional way to reward long-haul dedication, which resets your progression but gives you exclusive cosmetics like a new emblem to show off your time in-game. All owned weaponry is relocked (except the M4, M9, and frag grenade) and requires you to earn XP and prestige tokens to have access to them again. The best part, however, is that you can opt out of prestige at any time and recover everything you already earned, if you’d rather not do the full grind again.
You can also unlock new badges as part of a “challenge-based progression system” for engaging with XDefiant in “creative ways.” These badge challenges are all hidden until you meet their requirements, so you’ll need to experiment to unlock them all. There’s also the new Pristine Weapon Mastery skins, which you unlock at weapon level 50, and have “unmarred, fresh-from-the-factory” designs. There’s also faction mastery, daily rewards, and a new credit currency, all of which can help you get even more cosmetics.
With XDefiant soon coming to an end, Season 3 is full of brand-new ways to play. Granted, you need to already have the game installed, but there’s an awful lot to get stuck into before the game is gone forever. You can read the full Season 3 patch notes here.
If you’re diving into Season 3 before Ubisoft shuts it down, we’ve got all the best XDefiant weapons and XDefiant loadouts you need to try out.
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