Latest XDefiant Release Date Report Says Its Launching Alongside Major Call of Duty Event

XDefiant's updated release date is reportedly launching alongside Call of Duty's Haunting event.

XDefiant's road to launch has been rocky, to say the least. Following its beta period, XDefiant was supposed to be on track to release by the end of the summer. Obviously, that window has come and gone, and XDefiant still isn't out. This is because the game failed to pass certification at both Sony and Microsoft, forcing the team to fix up the game's backend before being allowed to release on those systems. The most recent official announcement from the team at Ubisoft was that the game could launch as early as the end of September, but the more likely launch date would be sometime in mid-October alongside a day one patch to iron out some issues. Reportedly, that's exactly what's going to happen, which means XDefiant will be launching alongside a massive event for one of its main competitors in the first-person shooter genre.

The news comes from ModernWarzone on Twitter who notes that the game is currently on track to launch on October 17 as long as no new issues are found during the certification process. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone fans will note that is the exact same day those games are starting up their Haunting event. If that turns out to be true, it will certainly be a bold decision from Ubisoft. Going up against a juggernaut like Call of Duty for a new game would prove that the team is incredibly confident in XDefiant. Only time will tell if the move works out for them, but it'll certainly be something to pay attention to if this rumor turns out to be true.

What is XDefiant?

XDefiant is a free-to-play first-person shooter. Players will have access to several different characters, each with their own abilities. These characters come from different factions, which also have their own specific sets of skills. Those factions pull from several of Ubisoft's fan-favorite franchises including Splinter Cell, Ghost Recon, and The Division. While they won't be available at launch, Ubisoft already has plans to incorporate factions from Far Cry and Watch Dogs as well.  Given how many properties Ubisoft has in its back catalog, we'll probably see it dig even deeper into its reservoir, potentially bringing in crossovers with everything from Assassin's Creed to Rayman.

Matches take place in six-on-six multiplayer combat. Similar to factions, the maps will come from some of Ubisoft's biggest franchises. There will also be several brand-new maps for XDefiant, but Ubisoft is seemingly doing everything it can to turn XDefiant into its own "cinematic universe."

As mentioned above, XDefiant is currently rumored to be coming out on October 17. Whenever it is released, the game is coming to PlayStation, Xbox, and PC platforms.