XDefiant Closed Beta Factor and Game Mode Starter guide

XDefiant’s Closed Beta is here bringing fast-paced multiplayer first-person shooter action between factions inspired by different Ubisoft games. If you haven’t already, you can register for a chance to play here. Closed Beta includes four playable factions that each have 16 unique abilities. It also offers five game modes and 24 weapons, with 44 attachments. Each of XDefiant’s factions open new gameplay opportunities that can drastically change the way you play, which is helpful because each of the five game modes calls for a different strategy. Here are some tips to help you get started in the Closed Beta.

Whenever you spawn in XDefiant you have the option to choose your faction. This determines your passive trait and activated ability as well as Ultra. It also determines your loadout which affects which weapons you use. Linear and Arena are the two main game modes in XDefiant. In symmetrical gameplay, both sides compete in Arena matches to get a better score. Linear matches force you to adopt different strategies and each side will be on the offensive. Here are some tips to help you adapt and gain an advantage in every game mode.

Domination

We start with the Arena modes. Domination is where teams compete for three points on the map. Because the points are stationary and holding them is the name of the game, you’re going to want Factions that specialize in area denial and defense, like The Cleaners (The Division) and The Phantoms (Ghost Recon). The Cleaners’ Incinerator drone will lay down a strip of fire that can cut off routes, zoning the entire enemy team out or splitting them up. Or, if you’re looking to make a splash, their Firebomb ability throws a Molotov cocktail on the ground blanketing the immediate area in fire. It’s a powerful ability that can instantly clear a zone of enemy presence, provided you can get in close enough to set it off. While you might not be able to survive the close-up, your opponents will, and your teammates will have full control. If all else fails, remember the Purifier; The Cleaners’ Ultra ability arms you with a powerful flamethrower that’ll roast anyone in your path. Once a zone is yours, you’ll need to hold onto it, and that’s where the Phantoms’ Mag Barrier comes into play. To block enemy bullets, place one to two of these in your area. Then, you and your allies can fire through the barrier one-way.

Occupy

In Occupy, there’s only one zone you need to capture. It may sound easy, but the zone constantly changes locations. This forces you to be mobile and adaptable to your surroundings. This is where the Echelon, or Splinter Cell, shines. Your digital ghillie suit can make you invisible, making it possible to sneak up on your enemies and helping you clear out an occupied area. Libertad (Far Cry 6) is available to assist you in moving from one zone to another. Their passive trait provides area-of-effect healing over the course of time. However, their BioVida Boost activated ability increases overall and local health as well as health regen. A little extra health can make all the difference in winning a firefight. When you really need that extra juice, activate Libertad’s Ultra, the Medical Supremo, which doubles your health and dramatically boosts your healing for a limited time.

HotShot

(This mode won’t be available at the start of the Closed Beta, but stay tuned for updates between now and April 23.)

HotShot is the last Arena mode. Hotshot is a mode where you can kill your opponents and get a bounty. You can then grab it to earn points for your team. You can also grab your allies’ bounties to deny the enemy team points. The Hotshot is the player who has the most bounties in a match. This gives them enhanced movement speed, reload speed and rate of fire. Each bount the HotShot collects is worth more. However, that player’s mark is visible for everyone to track and see at all times. Offense and speed are key in HotShot, so Echelon’s digital ghillie suit is great for snatching up bounties, but their Intel Suit is equally useful, especially for the HotShot themselves. Everyone may know where you are, but you can return the favor with the Intel Suit’s ability to detect nearby enemies.

If you really want the drop on your opponents, Echelon’s Ultra ability, Sonar Goggles, will reveal all enemies through walls and arm players with Sam Fisher’s 5.7 pistol, which has boosted damage and will let you make quick work of the opposing team. While the objective is picking up bounties, you’re going to have to win some firefights, and you know what helps in firefights? Extra health. Utilize the Phantom’s passive ability Hardened – to always have 20 extra base health, or trigger Libertad’s BioVida boost to get extra health and regeneration. The health regen can be especially useful during extended gunfights or when you barely manage to make a trade.

Escort

Escort is a linear mode in which one team has to escort a package along a predetermined route and the other with stopping it. Attackers move the package by being near it – the more teammates are near it, the faster it moves. Defenders can either keep attackers away from the package or contest the zone. They can also reverse the package if it is completely controlled by them. The Phantoms’ Blitz Shield is an especially powerful activated ability as it will give you nearly 100% frontal cover from gunfire, letting you get to the package more easily and stay on longer. When the match is on the line and you just need to move the package a few more inches to hit that next checkpoint or finish line, that’s the perfect time to pop the Phantom’s Ultra, the AEGIS. The AEGIS will drop a bulletproof shield around your body that is large enough to allow teammates to fit in. You can activate the AEGIS by simply getting on the package. The enemy team will find it difficult to stop you.

Stopping you is, of course, the defending team’s objective, and they have plenty of tools to make that happen. Echelon’s digital ghillie suit is great for surprising the attacking team from unpredictable angles, while The Cleaners’ Incinerator Drone and Firebomb can move them off the package. If all else fails, use the attackers’ tactics against them – pull out a Blitz Shield and push them off the objective while they’re distracted by your teammates.

Zone Control

Finally, there’s Zone Control: five static zones laid out in a linear map. To advance their capture meter, attackers must stand in designated zones. Any progress they make in capturing it is permanent and defenders can’t reduce the capture meter. Once an attacking team has captured the location, they can move to the next zone on the map. Here, the Phantoms’ bullet-blocking Mag Barrier can be very useful, as capturing zones takes much longer than in Domination or Occupy. If you’re pinned down by Defender sniper fire, the Phantoms’ Blitz Shield is always your friend when you need to get on the objective. The static zones are also prime locations for Libertad’s El Remedio ability. Throw this ability, and it’ll disperse a healing cloud for any allies in its range. The best thing about this ability is that it doesn’t move once you die. You can destroy it or cancel the ability to get rid of this ability. So, if you’re struggling to get to and stay on point, throw out El Remedio and help your team, whether you’re alive or not.

These are just some of the strategies you can employ across XDefiant’s five modes, but with the variety of factions and loadouts available, there’s plenty of room to discover your own winning style. DedSec will be joining XDefiant as a fifth force at a later date. This will allow players to use battlefield hacks and other strategies.

Don’t wait! Register to win a chance to play XDefiant Closed Beta. When the full game launches later this summer on PlayStation 3, Xbox, PC via Ubisoft Connect or Amazon Luna, certain rewards earned while playing will carry over. You can find more information on XDefiant at news.ubisoft.com.