A closer look
Another free-to-play shooter dropped in 2024 promising to dethrone Call of Duty, and players greeted it with a mix of excitement and exhaustion. Ubisoft's XDefiant finally launched after long delays and betas, offering fast-paced arena combat with factions drawn from the publisher's various franchises. The gunplay felt tight and the time to kill was snappy, but the real debate lit up around its monetization: battle passes, cosmetic shops, seasonal grinds. Many gamers voiced fatigue at yet another live-service treadmill demanding daily logins and long-term commitment just to keep up with cosmetics and unlocks. Some praised the lack of skill-based matchmaking, others hated it. The launch underscored a growing tension: even when a shooter plays well, it must fight not just for your money, but for a permanent slot in your mental schedule already crowded by other service games.
