Ubisoft’s latest FPS XDefiant has been long-awaited by fans and FPS enthusiasts alike. Now that the game has been officially released, we’ve decided to give you a quick breakdown of all the Factions and subsequent abilities that are available in the game.
Similar to other FPS games currently on the market, each Faction represents a different class, as they each complement unique playstyles by offering faction-specific abilities and traits. In addition, all Factions in XDefiant hail from pre-existing characters in popular Ubisoft franchises such as Far Cry, The Division, and Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon.
What Is The Best Faction in XDefiant?
Choosing your preferred Faction in XDefiant mainly comes down to personal preference as each class offers something different and unique. Whether you’re an aggressive rusher, or you choose to implement a much more laid-back and strategic approach, there’s something for every player.
Libertad
The Libertad revolutionaries from the Caribbean island of Yara, featured in Far Cry 6, take center stage as the most healing-oriented class in XDefiant. They excel in providing healing support to themselves and nearby allies through their array of abilities, making them an excellent choice for players looking to bolster their team directly.
Abilities
- Médico Supremo (Ultra) – The Médico backpack provides a large health and healing boost for a limited time.
- Espíritu de Libertad (Passive) – The contagious spirit of freedom slowly heals you and nearby allies
- El Remédio (Ability): Launch a revitalizing gas canister that heals friendlies until destroyed or canceled.
- Biovida Boost (Ability): A fortifying wave boosts total health and regen for you and nearby allies.
Phantoms
The ex-Ghosts, referred to as Shadow Team, leverage their expertise and cutting-edge technology for lucrative contracts.
Phantoms, renowned for their resilience, excel in battlefield manipulation by deploying an array of shields, both personal and stationary, to fortify positions or spearhead advances.
Abilities
- Aegis (Ultra): A spherical plasma shield combined with an electro-scattergun for close-quarters combat.
- Hardened (Passive): Health increased as a result of tailored gene therapies.
- Mag Barrier (Ability): An electromagnetic barrier blocks incoming enemy fire and grenades.
- Blitz Shield (Ability): Equip a tactical shield. Press the Melee button for a shield bash.
Echelon
The operatives of the NSA’s Echelon initiative are adept at engaging in combat when necessary, but they excel in utilizing information and stealth as their primary assets.
Echelon operatives remain undetectable on the mini-map and leverage their abilities to catch adversaries off guard and sow confusion. Moreover, they possess the capability to expose the whereabouts of enemy forces, granting their allies a significant tactical edge.
Abilities
- Sonar Goggles (Ultra): Reveal enemies and hunt them down with the classic Third Echelon 5.7 pistol.
- Low Profile (Passive): Agent does not appear on enemy minimaps.
- Intel Suit (Ability): Shares the location of nearby enemies with your team.
- Digital Ghillie Suit (Ability): Renders the agent nearly invisible. Movement and aiming reduce the effect.
Cleaners
Drawing inspiration from The Division 2, the Cleaners deploy fiery tactics to purge New York City, and they bring the same infernal intensity to XDefiant. Dubbed as “damage-dealing specialists” on the official website, their arsenal is packed with devastating abilities designed to unleash havoc.
Embrace your fiery instincts with this faction, and when the heat is on, unleash your ultimate ability to summon the Purifier—an imposing flamethrower that will undoubtedly give your adversaries pause before daring to challenge you.
Abilities
- The Purifier (Ultra): A flamethrower ensures enemies are thoroughly sterilized.
- Incendiary Rounds (Passive): Incendiary ammo inflicts extra burn damage but decreases weapon range.
- Firebomb (Ability): Detonate a Molotov cocktail, causing explosive damage and igniting the area.
- Incinerator Drone (Ability): A napalm-delivering drone burns everything in its flight path.
DeadSec
The tech-savvy DedSec hackers possess a wide array of skills, including the ability to disrupt enemy HUDs, commandeer deployable assets such as shields, turrets, and drones, and deploy autonomous Spiderbots to track down their foes. Hailing from diverse backgrounds, DedSec members share a common goal of destabilizing and dismantling systems of control, whether technological or otherwise.
Abilities
- Lockout (Ultra): Disable the enemies’ HUD, mini-map, and abilities in the affected area.
- Fabricator (Passive): After a device is deployed, the Fabricator prints a new one.
- Spiderbot (Ability): Deploy a Spiderbot that will target and stun the nearest foe via face hug.
- Hijack (Ability): Hack enemy-deployed abilities and make them your own.
So there you have it, that’s every Faction in XDefiant along with each of their individual abilities. As we previously stated, the best Faction for you comes down to personal preference and what type of playstyle you’re trying to achieve.
If you’re looking for a Faction that allows you to hunt enemies in stealth, you may want to try out the Echelon Faction. However, if you’re interested in dealing high damage especially when enemies are tight-packed closely together, you may want to try out the Cleaners Faction. Once again, it all comes down to personal preference.