In the world of first-person shooters, there might be a new king who will take entry on May 21, 2024. Yes, we are talking about Ubisoft’s XDefiant (formerly known as Tom Clancy’s XDefiant). The game is going to be exciting, as it will be set in the Ubisoft universe, as maps are based on multiple Ubisoft titles in-game locations.
So far, it has always been Call of Duty that has reigned in the FPS genre. The new Call of Duty 2024 title is on its way to maintaining the legacy of the franchise. However, there is one major aspect of XDefiant that might dethrone the Activision Blizzard franchise.
XDefiant Will Not Feature Skill-Based Match Making
Recently, Ubisoft confirmed that there will be no skill-based matchmaking in XDefiant in the Casual Play mode. SBMM mainly sets players in queues with a similar range of levels. XDefiant, though, is not following that path.
As we near launch, wanted to take some time to talk about matchmaking, and how we use it to make for a great multiplayer experience.
Hit the link below for details 👇https://t.co/6OlFNyHoYg pic.twitter.com/LIzbnRzOMf
— XDefiant (@PlayXDefiant) May 14, 2024
In this upcoming FPS title, Casual Play matchmaking will place a priority on fast connection times. It will try to put the players in pools with similar latency and regions, where possible.
Here’s the complete list of all the factors for casual play matchmaking:
- Latency
- Avoided Players
- Party Size
- Region
- Input Device
- Platform
However, for rank-play matchmaking, players will be queued based on an acceptable rank range. The rest of the factors will be the same as casual play. For instance, here also plays will get preference to be placed together with similar kinds of ping, the same region or language, the same platform (PC, Xbox, PS5), and similar squad size.
How Did the Developers and Community React to the Absence of SBMM in XDefiant?
In a blog post on the official Ubisoft website, developers explained the reason for withdrawing SBMM from Casual Play. According to them, SBMM makes every casual game more repetitive. while it also makes casual games more stressful, like ranked matches.
They have also advised players to tune into ranked mode if they “want that competitive every second counts go all out playstyle.” As per the developers, this is what SBMM means:
We believe that no SBMM is paramount to a fun and varied game experience in the long term.
Fans are no different than the developers. They hold the same opinion about SBMM as well.
I can’t wait to see this game. I’m gonna leave Call of Duty. I’m tired junk call of duty.
— 𝓓𝓲𝓷𝓸 𝓖𝓸𝓷𝓬𝓪𝓵𝓿𝓮𝓼 💯🇺🇸🇵🇹 (@mustang2428) May 14, 2024
Skill-based matchmaking sometimes makes things a lot more difficult. If players are up for a casual gameplay session and they come up against hardcore rankers, then the session totally becomes stressful and without any fun. Like in Call of Duty, every match is based on skills and similar ranks. That’s why XDefiant might be a breathing space of fresh air for the fans.
What’s your opinion on the match-making system in XDefiant? Is this the end of Call of Duty as well? Let us know in the comment section.
