The game will kick off with a preseason, or Season Zero, starting on that date, followed by regular seasonal content drops to keep the game fresh.

During the six-week preseason, players can expect new content and features, including a Ranked Mode Practice Playlist where they can sharpen their skills for the competitive ladder mode launching in a future season.

Ubisoft has laid out a roadmap for the game’s first year, promising new factions, weapons, maps, and a battle pass every season.

By the end of year one, XDefiant will boast four factions, 12 weapons, and 12 new maps in addition to the existing content.

The recent stress test reportedly went well enough for Ubisoft to feel confident in the game’s readiness for release, despite previous delays and development turmoil.

Although there were some issues with hit registration during the test, the developers claim to have addressed them, ensuring a smoother experience at launch.

LETSSS GOOOOOOO @PlayXDefiant drops on May 21 on Playstation 5, XBox Series X|S and Ubisoft Connect PC:

https://t.co/4ltWdzFC0s pic.twitter.com/6f91PYGZM7

— Ubisoft (@Ubisoft) May 2, 2024

XDefiant’s preseason will be available on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, marking a significant milestone for the long-awaited free-to-play FPS.

The game’s journey has been rocky, with initial negative reactions to its announcement in 2021 prompting a major rework.

However, subsequent beta tests have shown promise, with some likening it to a refinement of classic Call of Duty gameplay.

The launch will introduce five factions, 14 maps, and five gameplay modes, with plans for regular updates every three months.

Despite initial scepticism, Ubisoft’s track record with games like Rainbow Six Siege suggests that XDefiant could find a dedicated audience in the crowded shooter market.

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This decision follows a series of internet rumors suggesting that the game might arrive as early as October 17.

An update on XDefiant- pic.twitter.com/3orSnspmp6

— XDefiant (@PlayXDefiant) October 9, 2023

In their tweet, the XDefiant team expressed gratitude to players who participated in the recent Public Test Session and acknowledged the positive feedback regarding the game’s fast-paced gunplay, unique maps, objective-driven modes, and iconic Faction roster.

However, they also acknowledged certain inconsistencies in the game experience that need addressing before the Preseason launch.

As a result, the Preseason of XDefiant has been postponed.

The development team will continue to work on resolving these issues and conducting further testing to ensure the game lives up to its goal of being a top-tier arcade shooter.

They have promised to provide more information about the Preseason and testing in the future.

Despite the delay, it’s worth noting that XDefiant hasn’t had an official release date announced thus far.

Given the proximity of Call of Duty’s release date, some speculate that the delay might be in the best interest of XDefiant’s success.

In fact, there’s a strong belief that XDefiant may have a better chance of thriving if it launches during the first quarter of 2024.

While this may seem like a long wait for some, it could be an opportunity for the free-to-play FPS to shine, especially when the initial hype around the latest Call of Duty has subsided.

There’s also a recent leak suggesting that the game could potentially launch on October 28, 2023, although this should be taken with caution until officially confirmed by Ubisoft.

In summary, Ubisoft has officially delayed the Preseason launch of XDefiant after reviewing feedback from a recent Public Test Session.

This delay, while not specifying a new release date, aims to address inconsistencies in the game’s experience.

The development team is committed to delivering a high-quality arcade shooter and will continue to work on improvements and testing.

The timing of the release may be crucial for XDefiant’s success, and an early 2024 launch is being considered by some as a strategic move to avoid direct competition with other major titles.

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Having played the XDefiant closed beta for a relatively short period of time (approximately three hours of gameplay), and we at www.fridaynightmadness.com have decided to share our thoughts on the game and why it could become Call of Duty’s main rival.

Ubisoft’s development team, led by ex-Infinity Ward executive producer Mark Rubin and former CoD world champion Patrick “ACHES” Price, aims to bring back the “traditional” Call of Duty experience with XDefiant.

XDefiant includes several design choices that the Call of Duty community has been requesting in recent years, such as no skill-based matchmaking, pre-game map voting, and an old-school mini-map.

Following the release of the closed beta less than a week ago, many players and Ubisoft partner streamers have begun to notice one particular feature.

Want to address and provide context for everyone to see and give feedback. So, this is currently by design. The reason for this is to stop egregious spam behavior. However we do not want to limit the player from utilizing great movement, as I'm sure you've seen (cont.) https://t.co/ujuKAiLpOD

— PATTYP (@ACHES) April 17, 2023

The XDefiant development team purposefully included a feature in the game that will penalise a player’s aim if they repeatedly jump and crouch before shooting enemies.

This feature is referred to as “snaking” in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, and players can quickly change head levels to abuse pieces of cover to peak at enemies with little to no consequence.

In the comments section of his Twitter post, ACHES explained that the developers are attempting to find a “sweet spot” for the penalty.

“The goal is simple, prevent abusive play while maintaining a fun and fluid aspect of gameplay that we all love: movement,” he said.

According to SullyGnome, XDefiant has amassed roughly 2.8 million hours watched and averaged over 38,000 viewers on Twitch.tv since entering the closed beta stage from April 15-18, which is less than 200 viewers away from reaching the 100,000 maximum viewer mark.

Modern Warfare 2, on the other hand, amassed 2 million hours watched and over 28,000 average viewers, with those figures inflated by official Call of Duty League matches.

We understand that a new game with a lot of hype surrounding it will draw eyes, but these numbers are for a closed beta, and they are higher than the numbers for professional matches in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.

XDefiant is also capitalising on many CoD players’ disappointment following the season three launch last week.

Overall, XDefiant is giving long-time Call of Duty players what they’ve been asking for, with new features and a fresh take on a first-person shooter, but the Call of Duty brand has been built from the ground up.

The CoD brand is comprised of 19 different titles and has dominated the console and PC first-person shooter market for over a decade, so it is not going anywhere anytime soon, but it will be very interesting to see what happens when the full XDefiant game is released.

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The game developer made this known via a statement on its official website, stating that the proposed new Rainbow Six Siege circuit will be launched in March 2023.

“We are delighted to reveal that we are teaming up with BLAST for a multi-year partnership across the entire Rainbow Six Esports Global Circuit, from regional programs to international events!” the company said.

“In March 2023, we will launch the new version of our global esports circuit, that will encompass 9 regions and will create more opportunities for high-stake international matches, while offering up-and-coming teams a path to the top level of competition.”

Ubisoft added that the Rainbow Six Esports Global Circuit will include six regions: Europe, North America, Brazil, Japan, South Korea, and Hispanic Latin America. It was also mentioned that regional programs in Asia, Oceania, and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) are being finalized. According to the statement, the season will begin in March and run through February of the following year, with designated off-season breaks for third-party tournament organizers to host their own events, similar to VALORANT.

A closed system will be implemented for the circuit, meaning that a set number of teams will be competing in each region. However, open qualifiers will be held in each region, giving smaller teams the opportunity to qualify for the Majors.

No details have been revealed regarding specific teams or the number of spots available for qualification. However, the Majors will now feature a new stage prior to the group stage and playoffs.

With the format for Asia, Oceania, and MENA yet to be finalized, all regions except South Korea and Latin America will feature 10 teams each competing for the top spot. South Korea and Latin America will each feature eight teams competing.

The Rainbow Six Esports Global Circuit will provide R6S players with a new platform to showcase their skills and compete against top teams from around the world. The tournaments will feature a range of formats, including regional and international events as well as the prestigious Six Invitational world championship.

In addition to the launch of the Global Circuit, Ubisoft has announced a multi-year partnership with BLAST, a leading esports entertainment company. The partnership will see BLAST produce and broadcast the Rainbow Six Esports Global Circuit events, providing fans with high-quality coverage of the tournaments.

“We are working side by side with BLAST to tailor the programs to the specificities of each region,” Ubisoft stated.

“BLAST will bring the best of its industry-leading technology, ‘fan-first’ production values and extensive tournament organizer experience to deliver on our shared vision for the future of Rainbow Six Esports.”

The historic multi-year partnership will see BLAST run Rainbow Six events in all regions except Japan. It is a significant milestone for the Rainbow Six Siege esports scene as it brings the game to BLAST’s popular tournament format, which has proved successful in titles such as CS:GO, Fortnite, FIFA, and Apex Legends.

The Managing Director of Development at BLAST, Leo Matlock, commented on the partnership.

“We have ambitious plans to enhance and expand the Rainbow Six Siege esports scene and are eager to utilize our expertise and first-class technology in the areas of broadcast, production, and direct-to-consumer streaming to develop an ecosystem that the community can be proud of and enthusiastic about,” Matlock said.

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The group stage of SI 2023 will take place from February 7–11, followed by a day off on February 12. The playoffs will begin on February 13 and continue until February 15, followed by another day off on February 16.

The postseason will then pick back up on February 17, and the best-of-five championship match will take place on February 19. These latter three days will be open to the general public, and tickets are currently available for purchase.

After being moved to Paris, France, in 2021 and Stockholm, Sweden, in 2022, the Six Invitational will next year make its way back to its original home in Montréal. Ubisoft had intended for SI 2022 to take place in Montréal; however, renewed restrictions relating to COVID-19 in Quebec led the company to move the event to a different venue.

It is expected that the competition will adopt the same format as SI 2022, in which the 20 teams were divided into four groups. Every team participated in one best-of-three match against the other teams, with the following point distribution: three points for a 2-0 win, two points for a 2-1 win, and one point for a 1-2 loss.

Following this, the team that finished in first place in each group advanced to the second round of the upper bracket, while the teams that finished in second and third place advanced to the first round of the upper bracket. The teams that finished in fourth place moved into the lower bracket, while the teams that finished fifth were eliminated.

Every game in the playoffs was also a best-of-three, with the exception of the best-of-five championship match, which had no map edge. Instead of being required to veto one of the maps, the team competing in the top bracket was given the option to select one of the maps from which the process would begin.

Currently, eight teams have earned direct qualification for the Rainbow Six Siege tournament: XSET, DarkZero, Oxygen, and Astralis from North America; G2, Wolves Esports, and Rogue from Europe; and w7m esports from Brazil.

Starting on November 21, multiple prominent teams – including FaZe, FURIA, Team BDS, Soniqs, and Team Liquid – will compete in the J?nk?ping Major in an effort to secure a berth at the 2023 Six Invitational. The 20-team field at SI 2023 will be completed with the addition of four more teams via regional qualifiers.

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The announcement was made via Twitter, with links to purchase tickets and get more information.

In February, Ubisoft changed the location of the August Major after feedback from the R6 community. They initially wanted to host the event in the United Arab Emirates, but fans were unhappy with the decision citing human rights abuses and the laws concerning the LGBTQ+ community.

That prompted a statement from Ubisoft, acknowledging the concerns of fans.

“We have taken the decision to move the Six Major of August 2022 to another Rainbow Six Esports region, with the exact location yet to be determined. In the spirit of fostering all our local communities around the world, in all their diversity, dedication and passion for the game, we will keep on developing and structuring our competitive activities in MENA, through local and regional tournaments and activations.”

In the statement, Ubisoft revealed the dates and locations for the tournament. The event will commence on August 15 with the group stage, which is not open to the public.

However, fans will be welcome into the Theater am Potsdamer Platz for the playoffs and grand final. 16 teams will be split into four groups of four, with the top two teams in each group advancing to the playoffs.

The prize pool, format, and teams that will be participating are yet to be announced. But all four major regions (Europe, North America, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America) in R6 will be duly represented.

Ubisoft also 20% of in-game purchases of a special Jackal bundle will be added to the soon-to-be disclosed prize pool.

“To celebrate the Six Berlin Major, a special Jackal bundle is available for purchase on the Esports page of the in-game store. 20% of the revenue from this set will directly contribute to the prize pool of the competition, giving you the opportunity to support the teams that will take part in the Six Berlin Major!”

After the conclusion of all Stage 2 fixtures in each region, the teams that will be participating in the Major will be revealed. Teams will be competing for a piece of the prize pool and points for the 2023 Six Invitational.

European teams, who had a dismal showing in the Charlotte Major will have an opportunity to impress in front of their home fans. So far in the Europe League, Heroic sits atop the standings with a +5 Round Difference. Action will resume on June 27 for Playday 2.
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The organization made the announcement via Twitter, also listing the members of the roster.

LG left the competitive scene in April 2020 in a rather controversial way. While the change in competition format was a reason for their departure, the players were not happy with how things played out, especially Kian “Hyena” Mozayani.

The 23-year-old went on a rant, calling out Ubisoft for handling the situation poorly. Via Twitlonger, he claimed that communication between Ubisoft and the players was poor, leaving them in limbo for about three weeks.

“Roughly 3 weeks ago, we were told that LG would be releasing us since they could not come to an agreement with Ubisoft regarding the upcoming LAN league,” he said.

“Over the course of these 3 weeks (during the season) we practiced and played our matches not knowing if we would have a spot in pro league next season. Throughout this whole period, LG and Ubisoft re-entered negotiations without our knowledge (up until recently) and they fell through again.

“Ubisoft delayed our meeting multiple times leaving us in the dark not knowing if we should pack up and leave our team house.”

In his outburst, he also called considerations, stating that he is willing to accept a player or coaching role.

However, his course of action was frowned upon by Ubisoft, resulting in a one-year ban. Hyena shared the email received from Ubisoft regarding his ban via his Twitter page with a sarcastic caption.

“Best communication I have received from Ubisoft in months.”

Regardless of all the ugliness that transpired in the past, Hyena returned to competitive gaming in 2021. For Luminosity, it took an extra year before they made their re-entry.

Before they were taken over on April 10, Wichita Wolves won the North American Challenger League Stage 1. They had the best record in the league and finished with 24 points, one above Arial Arise and 1shotLFO.

For their effort, they will be participating in the NACL Stage 2. Details on the start of the event are yet to be released. However, a top-nine finish will guarantee them a place in Stage 3.

Luminosity, which was founded in 2015, now boast active rosters in some of the most popular esports titles, including Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, League of Legends, Overwatch, etc. Unfortunately, the announcement of getting back into the Rainbow Six scene came weeks after LG announced their departure from Valorant.

LG’s decision to leave came days after a reported meeting with Riot Games. In their statement, they hinted that the structure might be the reason for their exit but made no definite claim.

The Canadian organization will be looking to make their way to the NAL league. To achieve that, they will have to finish all three stages in the NACL with the best record. LG finished sixth the last time they were in the league, walking away with $14,000 from the US$157,000 prize pool.

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In a video, Ubisoft showcased two new operators in Iana and Oryx, as well as an Oregon map rework. The fans are understandably the most excited for the new operators, who will introduce a handful of new abilities, and could redefine the way how R6S will be played.

Oryx – New operator for Rainbow Six Siege

Oryx is a defender, who will have an ability called Remah Dash – a quick sprint, which lets him move significantly faster compared to any other operators. The Remah Dash can be used to knock attackers on the ground, including Montagne and other shield-wearers. The ability can also be used to break through standard walls and barricades, an action that will cost Oryx 10 health points.

Oryx’s dashes run on charges. He can have up to three charges stored at any time, but once used, they take time to replenish. Another thing players will have to keep in mind is that after dashing through a wall, all charges will be used. Dashes can be interrupted by Gridlock’s Trax Stingers or Nomad’s Airjabers, and will also delay the weapon pull up after use.

The new operator can also jump up through open hatchets where he can either peak or pull himself up to the floor above. Unfortunately, the ability can’t be used on roof hatchets and hatchets that have not been destroyed. This new skill is used independently of Oryx’s Remah Dash charges.

Iana – New attacker in R6 Siege

Iana is the new attacker, which will introduce a unique gadget in a controllable hologram. The hologram will look, move and sound exactly like Iana, meaning the enemies will have a difficult time differentiating between the hologram and Iana herself. That said, the hologram cannot shoot nor hurt enemies. Instead, it will be used only for scouting and getting vital information about the enemy’s position and location of their traps.

While the hologram will not trigger any traps, electricity and Mute jammers will destroy it. In addition, the hologram cannot survive any damage, as one bullet will be enough for it to disappear. While controlling the hologram Iana will be unable to move.

Iana can use her hologram several times in a game, although its recharge time is slightly longer. It’s also worth noting that if Iana decides to deactivate the hologram the recharge time is shorter as if the hologram would die.

Oregon map changes

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In the trailer, Ubisoft unveiled there will be some key changes to the Oregon map, such as the removal of the exterior door in the dining hall bombsite, as well as the addition of a new staircase to the basement. The staircase will be an extension of the already existing dorm staircase leading down one more level, connecting the dorm with the new freezer section.

The attic connector will have its ladder leading to the first floor removed, while a new exterior second-floor window will be added. The nearby small office tower has been expanded on both levels, which will give the defenders more room to work while defending the site. Ubisoft also implemented a new hallway which will connect the big tower on Oregon to the kitchen, which will allow players to bypass the meeting room.

Gameplay changes

Ubisoft will introduce a few tweaks to barricades and drones as well, which could have an impact on R6S meta, namely the drone changes.

Changes to barricade damage will make it so they will break more consistently, thus giving the players more options when creating strategic viewpoints. Furthermore, the attackers’ drones will now spawn on the same side of the building as attackers’ first spawn location.

Besides the gameplay changes, R6S will also introduce a new updated main menu layout, which will make it easier for players to navigate through.

All changes will be free for all players on the day Operation Void Edge launches. The new operators – Oryx and Iana will be available at launch for all Year Five Pass owners, while everyone else will be able to unlock them a week later by using R6 credits or renown.

All national, international, amateur and professional Siege tournaments from 2018 to 2020 will follow a revamped structure, starting with the R6 Pro League, which will be split into two seasons running for six months each from June to November 2018 and December 2018 to May 2019.

Each season of Rainbow Six Pro League will gather the eight greatest teams for a larger-scale finals event, two from each region – Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America and North America – who will battle it out for a share of the US$275,000 prize-pool.

This new six-month long season format comes after Pro League Season 7, which will act as a transition period and will have its finals take place in North America in mid-May.

Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Challenger League will also change to a two-season per year event, starting in September and March and running for three months each. It will follow the transitional format of the upcoming Rainbow Six Pro League Season 7.

Ubisoft have also committed two Majors every year. The Six Invitational will continue to be held in February, but the new addition, the ‘Six Major’, will take place in Paris this August.

The Six Invitational and Six Major will offer up US $500,000 and $350,000 in prize money, respectively, and will host the top 16 international Rainbow Six Siege teams.

Finally, Rainbow Six Siege will have Weekly Online Tournaments, including Go4s, every Sunday on PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, with community cups and local ladders organised throughout the year in different regions, such as the UK ESL Premiership, with further details and a calendar schedule promised to be released soon.

The massive shake-up from Ubisoft is intended to put the Rainbow Six esports scene in the limelight, and we can’t say we’re unhappy given how far Rainbow Six Siege has come since its original bare-bones release in 2015.

We can only hope the bigger investments can help it stand out from the crowd and we can finally start seeing some regular betting markets.

While we wait for the renewed esports launch, Year 2 of the Rainbow Six Pro League is ongoing, with teams from all regions facing off in the second $500,000 Six Invitational next month, running February 13 – 18.

If you want to learn more about the upcoming Rainbow Six Pro League tournament changes, you can watch the official announcement video embedded below.