XDefiant officially arrives on PC and console tomorrow, and the “preseason patch notes” released on the eve of the game’s launch are reintroducing two of the most popular abilities among closed test and beta players.
Aside from the return of these game-changing abilities, a handful of miscellaneous improvements have been made in the final hours before XDefiant launches, including a crucial one that reduces the range of ping among players in a lobby. A successful launch is crucial for XDefiant considering it’s trying to compete with a titan of first-person shooters in Call of Duty.
Here’s a breakdown of the May 20 preseason patch notes for XDefiant.
XDefiant May 20 preseason patch notes
Echelon faction, Digital Ghillie Suit, and DedSec Spiderbot reactivated
During the final closed test, the Echelon faction was briefly disabled due to some unintended invisibility errors. Invisibility is part of the ability set for Echelon characters, via the limited-time Digital Ghillie Suit ability, but agents were “turning invisible in a bad way versus the good and intended way.” The issues have reportedly been fixed and Echelon is now back in time for launch.
The DedSec Spiderbot, which was overpowered in the first closed test sessions, has now returned. This bot would seek out enemy players and latch onto their faces, and it was virtually undetectable on the mini-map. It will certainly be a fun ability, as long as it’s not overpowered still.
Netcode changed to reduce ping range
The range between the highest ping and lowest ping in matchmaking has been reduced, which should result in players being grouped with other gamers who have a more suitable ping. Ping proximity is the primary matchmaking factor in the Casual mode, which does not use skill-based matchmaking, so a shorter range should make for better gameplay experiences.
Other major XDefiant May 20 patch notes
- Devices like grenades are less likely to fall at your feet if used right after respawning, but it can still occasionally happen.
- Netcode issue where you could still run around a few seconds after death has been resolved.
- Audio, social menu improvements.
- Resolved the Loadout menu crashes.
- New words added to the chat language filter.
The full patch notes for the May 20 XDefiant preseason patch are available on the Ubisoft website.
