In XDefiant, players must choose their faction and loadout, both before the match begins and at any time they wish upon respawning, allowing them to adapt to the evolving fight. Factions offer a choice of two active abilities, as well as one passive buff, and an ultra ability that must be charged up during the match. Libertad excels at healing support thanks to their BioVida medication; the Cleaners use fire to burn away their enemies; Echelon (Splinter Cell) uses stealth technology to reveal enemy locations and render themselves invisible on enemy maps; the Phantoms use their advanced training and technology to block damage; and DedSec uses their technological expertise to hack enemy gadgets and sic spiderbots on unsuspecting opponents. At launch, DedSec will be locked, as will two of the other faction's playable characters, but all can be earned by completing in-game missions.

Loadouts in XDefiant consist of a primary and secondary weapon, as well as a grenade. Assault rifles, submachine guns, shotguns, marksman rifles, and sniper rifles all offer different strengths in combat, and players can customize their weapons with a wide range of attachments to fine tune each weapon's performance, including sights, grips, stocks, magazines, and barrel and muzzle attachments. Using a weapon will earn weapon XP progress towards unlocking new customization options.

Game modes in XDefiant fall into one of two categories: Arena and Linear. Arena-style matches include Domination, where teams fight to control three fixed zones; Occupy, where teams fight to control one zone that periodically moves around the map; and HotShot, where players fight to get the most KOs. However, in HotShot, points are only granted (or denied) when players collect tags from fallen foes (or allies); furthermore, the player currently holding the most tags becomes the HotShot and is granted a host of speed buffs, but is marked on the map for all to see.

Linear matches, on the other hand, cast players in attacking or defending roles. In Zone Control, the attacking team works to secure five zones in a progression across the map, and the defenders fight to stop them. In Escort, the attacking team must bring a package to its final destination across the map, while the defenders attempt to stymie their progress, and even push the package back.

In a recent interview, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot revealed that XDefiant has more than 11 million players.

"We need to continue to listen closely to our players and make well-informed decisions on where to focus our efforts, because if you succeed at GaaS, you can succeed for the long-term. There's a lot of work to do, but it was able to attract 11 million players in a short time. And that number will increase with all the work done by the team to ensure Season One brings a lot more to the existing experience. It's about making the right choices and sticking to them."

"Well, outside of it being continually updated, with different experiences and optimized gameplay, I'd love to see it as a serious esport. But really, for a game like this, there's no limit to its future. And we've got a fantastic team on it, who are listening to our players and communicating with them, which is so crucial. We've started off strong, but there's still a long way to go, and I'm excited for us to step up to the challenge."

Additional features include:

• Personalized Playstyle: Players can personalize their Defiant to match their playstyle. Players can choose a faction with unique traits, abilities and ultra, then select from an arsenal of primary and secondary weapons, attachments, and a device to complete their loadout – and even tweak it on the fly (after respawning) to adapt to an ever-changing battlefield.
• Competitive Clashes: The game offers a variety of competitive 6-v-6 arena and linear game modes, such as Domination and Escort. Combine that with a large pool of uniquely designed maps in rotation and no two matches will feel the same.
• Diverse Factions of Defiants: XDefiant will initially feature factions such as the Wolves (Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon), Echelon (Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell) and the Outcasts and Cleaners (Tom Clancy’s The Division) battling across iconic locations. Additional Defiants will be added as the game evolves, drawing on a range of characters and abilities from the Tom Clancy universe … and beyond.

XDefiant is coming to PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PC.