xDefiant, the first-person shooter title set to take over Call of Duty, is one of the most highly anticipated games coming from Ubisoft, but the game’s delay has players wondering whether it’ll turn out fine upon launch or not. Despite having similarities, such as gameplay, the game is being labeled as a Call of Duty killer as it aims to provide a unique experience to first-person shooter enthusiasts.
While CoD has enjoyed being the most popular FPS title over the years, there have been several controversial features in the game, and one of them is the skill-based matchmaking system (SBMM). It has now been confirmed that xDefiant will not have this multiplayer feature.
Call of Duty “Killer” xDefiant Will Not Have SBMM in Unranked Play
The skill-based matchmaking system (SBMM) has been part of the CoD multiplayer experience for years. Players have been frustrated with it spoiling the casual playing experience, and xDefiant is removing that. Earlier, during the beta test of the game, the developer had said that it would have the SBMM to a limited extent.
It has now been confirmed that the game will only have the skill-based matchmaking system in Ranked play, and it will not be implemented in casual or Unranked playlists. The former Call of Duty developer and executive producer of xDefiant, Mark Rubin, announced this on X.
For instance, I can confirm that no push has been made to put SBMM into the game. Our Unranked playlists will still have no SBMM and you will get the variety of gameplay that you see when there isn't SBMM.
— Mark Rubin (@PixelsofMark) March 23, 2024
In response to a user asking if not having SBMM in Unranked play would be good and if it would be successful, Rubin said that he thinks it would be successful. He added that the absence of SBMM in the Unranked playlist would help players “get much more variety” in the games, and it will help them get better as sometimes they will have good players as teammates and sometimes not.
The SBMM controversy has been going on for years, and it is a relief for players that they will not have to deal with it in the upcoming game, which is another reason why they are excitedly looking forward to its launch.
An Official Update on xDefiant Is Coming Soon
The game has been delayed multiple times due to several reasons, with Ubisoft delaying it indefinitely in October last year. There was no information from the developers after that, and players have been growing impatient and wondering what’s going on with the game.
Mark Rubin has said that an update on the game is “coming soon” and acknowledged that the team has been silent, but there’s nothing to talk about as the developer wants to launch it, which is what the players want too.
Rubin did not give a launch date but said that the team is working on the game and has been fixing issues such as “major infrastructure and full system overhauls” to make it as much fun as possible.
Are you looking forward to playing xDefiant? Let us know in the comments.
