XDefiant Season 1 finally kicks off the live-service support for Ubisoft's arcade FPS. Adding a new Faction, new guns, a new map every month, a fresh battle pass and so much more. It's certainly a promising start.
But, if you are looking forward to the game’s first season of content, you may be wondering when the XDefiant Season 1 release date is. Perhaps you're keen to know what's in store too. So, here is an overview of what you can expect from XDefiant Season 1. To get the edge on the competition, be sure to take a look at the best XDefiant loadouts and classes too.
XDefiant Season 1 Release Date
XDefiant Season 1 will be released on Tuesday, July 2, 2024, as confirmed by the developer at the Ubisoft Forward event.
This follows on from the “preseason” that began with the game’s release date on Tuesday, May 21, 2024, and has introduced players to XDefiant.
Seasons will then last for three months, with Season 2 starting in October, Season 3 starting in January, and Season 4 starting in April.
As with all new seasons, XDefiant Season 1 introduces a host of regular bug fixes and improvements, heaps of new content, a 90-tier battle pass to work your way through, and more.
XDefiant Season 1 Faction
XDefiant Season 1 brings the GSK team from Rainbow Six Siege to the roster, with Bandit, Jäger, and Blitz-inspired characters and abilities.
As shown in the trailer for Season 1, the GSK Faction in XDefiant has access to a flashbang riot shield (borrowing Blitz's skill), electrified barbed-wire (Bandit's ability), and an Active Defense System to destroy throwable equipment (Jäger's skill). This makes GSK a superb Faction for pushing and defending objectives. Charge into battle with a dazing riot shield to capture an objective, or place an ADS and barbed wire to keep the enemy at bay.
We've got a guide covering all the XDefiant Factions and classes in-depth, so check that out to see how the GSK fit into the roster.
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+ 2XDefiant Season 1 Guns
XDefiant Season 1 adds the following three new weapons to the XDefiant guns list:
- LVOA-C (assault rifle)
- Sawed-Off (shotgun)
- L115 (sniper)
The LVOA-C and the L115 are most certainly the hot items in Season 1, as assault rifles and sniper rifles dominate the XDefiant meta right now. The LVOA goes head to head with the ACR for the king of assault rifles, while the L115 has to have better handling than the TAC-50 to come out on top. Meanwhile, the Sawed-Off shotgun will likely struggle, unless it boasts a similar range to the standard Double Barrel but with faster handling.
click to enlarge + 2XDefiant Season 1 Maps
XDefiant Season 1 adds the following three new maps, one per month:
- Clubhouse
- Daytona
- Rockefeller
With the theme of Season 1 being centered around Rainbow Six Siege, it's no surprise that it also adds a map from Siege - the iconic Clubhouse. Alongside Clubhouse are Daytona and Rockefeller, similarly unique maps, with the latter being inspired by Ubisoft's The Crew.
Check out all the XDefiant maps to find out more about the game's arenas.
XDefiant Season 1 Game Modes
XDefiant Season 1 also adds two new modes - Capture the Flag and Ranked.
While Capture the Flag hasn't been a big fan request like Ranked has, we can't ever complain about having new game modes. Plus, the dynamic nature of CTF is the perfect pairing for XDefiant's unique Factions to shine.
Executive producer Mark Rubin has also revealed that Team Deathmatch will be added to XDefiant "in a couple of weeks" following significant fan demand for this staple FPS mode. Likewise, XDefiant's Search and Destroy inspired mode, Bomb!, has also been pushed forward. Bomb! isn't part of Season 1, but "the team is working on getting it out ASAP," Rubin explains.
Take a look at all the XDefiant game modes to learn more.
While you wait for the new Faction to arrive, why not check out our full breakdown of the XDefiant Factions currently in the game - covering everything from Watch Dogs to Far Cry 6? Otherwise, take a look at all the best XDefiant guns right now.