In a new interview with XDefiant's Executive Producer Mark Rubin (via Gamespark), we learned about the intricacies of the game's casual approach to the FPS genre and how long the game will be around (which is actually a long time).

According to Rubin, matchmaking in this game is not skill-based (like Rainbow Six Siege). He defines skill-based play as the idea that the more time players spend in the game, the more they are forced to play against stronger opponents. In XDefinat, however, the process has more variety. In one match you might be playing against stronger players, but in the next match, the roles might be reversed. And after each match, there's a voting period where players can decide whether or not they want to fight the opponents they just fought again.

There's also another important point concerning casual players who are still adjusting to the start of each match. In other shooter games, players sometimes get knocked out immediately by other players who were able to grab better weapons and attachments faster. To reduce this problem, the XDefiant team has created presets — or optimal load-outs — to give each player an advantage early in the match. Players can also use these presets as tools to help them discover their own preferred custom weapon builds and styles.



Another point mentioned in the interview is that the team is open to adding sci-fi and fictional weapons. The producer confirms that ancient or sci-fi weapons from Ubisoft's other works could appear in the game in the future, but of course, the focus would still be on modern and realistic weapons first. He also adds that the team considers the release of XDefiant this summer as a beginning, not the finish line, and that the game will be here for years to come, just like Rainbow Six Siege.

「Pay to Win」は絶対にありえない。バラエティに富んだ展開を目指す…新作FPS『エックスディファイアント』エグゼクティブプロデューサーへインタビュー【Ubisoft Forward】https://t.co/mtpmjOUpLG pic.twitter.com/Ktj4QSnsWw

— ⚡Game*Spark⚡ (@gamespark) June 19, 2023

Finally, Rubin makes it clear that the game is not pay-to-win. It is and will remain free to play. There will be microtransactions, but they will not affect the gameplay in any way. XDefinat currently has its entire Year 1 Roadmap confirmed on the official website, which includes all the modes, weapons, maps, as well as all the content players can expect to find when the game launches.

Posted: Jun 23, 2023 12:15 am
Related Forum: PC Gaming Forum

Source: https://www.dualshockers.com/xdefiant-rainbow-six-siege-casual/