Ubisoft changes the branding of its upcoming free-to-play multiplayer arena shooter and removes Tom Clancy from its name. The game is now titled XDefiant, with no mention of the popular spy game series.
XDefiant was first announced in 2021. This upcoming free-to-play FPS features 6v6 arena combat with class-based abilities, much like popular games such as Overwatch or Valorant.
If XDefiant was originally named Tom Clancy’s XDefiant, it is far from a new Splinter Cell game. The game was first rumored as a crossover game featuring The Division, Splinter Cell, and Ghost Recon elements. But XDefiant is not a stealth game, but rather an arena shooter where each character has their own abilities.
Players can select a character from one of four factions. Each faction has its own role in the team and comes with unique traits, abilities, and special moves.
The main factions of XDefiant are:
- Wolves, tank class with deployable energy shields and heavy weapons.
- Echelon, support class with stealth camo and alternate vision modes.
- Outcasts, healer class with nanobots to heal and revive teammates.
- Cleaners, assault class with flamethrowers and makeshift rockets.
Factions are not linked with weapons. Players can freely select a primary and secondary weapon, as well as attachments and a special device. Ubisoft will add more factions to the game but didn’t announce them yet.
The decision to remove Tom Clancy’s name from XDefiant follows negative feedback from the players. Many fans of Splinter Cell were unhappy with the association of Tom Clancy’s name with this new game bearing no element in common with the original game series. It looks like Ubisoft heard this feedback, as the company removed all mention of Tom Clancy on the branding of its new FPS.
Ubisoft opened registrations for a chance to play XDefiant early with the Insider Sessions. This next round of closed testing will only take place on PC. Console players will have the opportunity to try the game during future testing sessions.
