Traditional multiplayer offerings like Call of Duty have been compared to XDefiant, a game made with the help of former COD writers and players. During its closed beta, XDefiant got a lot of attention and had more Twitch watchers than Call of Duty. FaZe Jev, a well-known YouTuber, even said that XDefiant’s worst map is better than any Call of Duty map launched in the last few years.
Even though it was well received, some people in the FPS community believed that a new game could really compete with the industry leader. But when Activision revealed that MW2 would have a free trial right in the middle of XDefiant’s open beta, their doubts started to fade.
Activision announced on June 20 that MW2’s multiplayer mode would be free as of June 22. The trial had different maps and game types, including a remake of the Showdown map for COD 4. This trial period happened at the same time as the open test for XDefiant, which was set to run from June 21 to June 23.
XDefiant vs. Call of Duty: Is Activision Feeling the Heat?
People in the gaming community were confused by these dates that were close together. One player said, “Right after the XDefiant test… coincidence? I doubt it. You can tell they’re scared.” Another user said that the free trial of MW2 was a way for Activision to get people to stop playing XDefiant.
People who were thinking about switching from Call of Duty to XDefiant were also interested in the news. One player said, “This is the same weekend as the test for XDefiant, which feels more like Call of Duty than Call of Duty. “Good try.”
Ubisoft Executive Producer Mark Rubin addressed the similarities between XDefiant and Call of Duty by saying, “XDefiant is a love letter to the arcade arena shooter! Is it like Call of Duty? Pfft… I don’t know. We just want to make a game that people will love for a long time.”
The fight between XDefiant and Call of Duty has definitely made the FPS community curious and stirred up some debate. For those who want to learn more about XDefiant’s open test, there is a guide on how to sign up.
As the competition between these two multiplayer giants heats up, it remains to be seen if XDefiant can really question Call of Duty’s dominance or if Activision’s move to give away a free trial of MW2 will have the effect that Activision wants.
Gamers and enthosiasts who are interested in the gaming business will be watching the competition closely to see what happens.
