XDefiant dev claps back at complaints it’s ‘copying’ Call of Duty
Despite being announced in 2021, Ubisoft's XDefiant is frustratingly biding its time. The conversation around first-person shooters currently revolves around one big question: "Where are the competitors?"
Fans have been wondering why THE FINALS isn't rivalling Call of Duty and Fortnite, and it's a fair question to ask, especially as players are growing sick of CoD's repetitive events and long-standing issues with bugs and glitches.
XDefiant seems to stand a good chance of making it into the big leagues, provided its return from beta won't be met by complaints it's simply crowbarring in other Ubisoft products. We have to wait for its relaunch, and as one site makes some bold claims about another potential delay, Ubisoft has clapped back.
New claims suggest XDefiant is trying too hard to copy CoD
Click to enlargeA new claim from Insider Gaming's Tom Henderson has suggested that the long wait for XDefiant's return is down to the company's insistence on including more features that appear in Call of Duty games. As XDefiant has been dubbed the 'CoD killer' by many, it would stand to reason.
The report claims that the shooter is trying too hard to appeal to current Call of Duty devotees, adding new features in a way that breaks the XDefiant's construction and demands lengthy repairs. An anonymous source supposedly told the publication that "the never-ending hunt to chase CoD and add pointless stuff always breaks the current build."
XDefiant was supposed to make its long-awaited debut before March 31, but with a matter of days until that date, and relative radio silence from Ubisoft, it looks increasingly likely to miss it. Despite swirling rumours about Call of Duty being influential in a potential delay, XDefiant Director has his own recollection of development.
XDefiant's Director doesn't buy the anonymous reports
Taking to Twitter to respond to one user who lashed out in anger after taking the report's word as bond, XDefiant Director and Producer Mark Rubin said, "Nothing about our delay is due to any new features. In fact not much has changed from a gameplay standpoint."
Henderson then goes on to quote the tweet, harking back to a quote from his report. Meow. It's up to you who you trust in this scenario, but the truth will be easier to spot when the game launches, and we can see what new features have been added.
Rubin saying that the idea that XDefiant is "chasing COD" is a "major eyeroll" suggests it's an argument he's heard a million times before. Although XDefiant has confirmed it includes CoD-esque killcams and a prestige system, it remains to be seen what else will be accused of being a CoD clone.
