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Ubisoft has just released the latest set of XDefiant patch notes for an imminent update, and while there aren’t any radical new features (or those all-important hit registration improvements) to speak of yet, it is going to shake up the meta and introduce its newest mode into Ranked Play.
My feelings on XDefiant really haven’t changed since the FPS game dropped over two months ago now – it’s far from perfect, but it’s still an enjoyable arena shooter that I find myself still occasionally dropping into for a session. There’s been a lot of doomsaying about it recently but I’m still firmly a member of Team Optimism. However, when I saw the new patch notes for update Y1S1.3, which drops Wednesday, July 31, I couldn’t help but let out an exasperated sigh.
That’s because not only is my beloved MP7 getting nerfed, the one weapon type that I feel ruins almost every competitive shooter is getting buffs across the board: shotguns.
Don’t get me wrong, shotguns make for incredibly fun weapons in many co-op games and single-player games – blasting enemies with weapons like Doom’s Super Shotgun or Destiny 2’s Lord of Wolves is excellent fun. I appreciate that shotguns are satisfying to use, but I loathe their presence in competitive, PvP shooters. They just feel cheap. And dirty. And wrong.
Well, thankfully for all of you that do like using shotguns in Ubisoft’s free-to-play shooter, I’m not the boss. This XDefiant update is dishing out generous buffs to all four of the game’s shotguns. That means the AA12, the Double-Barrel, the M870, and Season 1’s debutant the Sawed-Off Shotgun, are all going to be much more effective going forward.
Elsewhere in this patch, arguably the most annoying ability in the game is getting a slight nerf. The DeadSec faction’s Spider Bot – which tracks you down, stuns you, and jumps on your face to blind you – will now only stun you after it latches itself to your kisser. So kind. The Echelon faction’s Intel Suit has also received a slight nerf, as teammates will no longer be able to see scanned players through walls.
There’s good news for Ranked Play enjoyers as well, because not only is the new Capture the Flag mode now ready to be added into the competitive mode pool, but Ubisoft is also cracking down on matches that begin or end with mis-matched team numbers. “Ranked matches now won’t start with less than 8 players. The Leave button has also been nixed from the map-voting screen to discourage players from dropping out (and Ranked matches will cancel if players manage to skedaddle during map voting)” the patch notes read.
For more on the free PC game, check out our best XDefiant loadouts guide to see which weapons you should be using to protect yourself against the imminent shotgun onslaught.
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