Free-to-play arena shooter XDefiant is getting another beta later this month

As we continue to make our way through the E3 2023 schedule, today, it was Ubisoft's turn to flaunt its wares with its very own digital showcase Ubisoft Forward. During the show, we got a fresh look at the free-to-play arena shooter XDefiant, as well as confirmation that another beta is on the way.

XDefiant is set to arrive later this summer, but before that happens, developer Ubisoft San Francisco will be holding an open beta to "address some of the feedback" from the recent closed playtest. This will be available to all players across PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. It kicks off later this month on June 21 and runs until June 23.

"This is a short test, but we're opening it to everyone to get as much feedback as possible on our new net code, our controller tuning and, of course, to stress out the servers as much as possible," explains executive producer Mark Rubin.

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He also shared some details regarding the game's release, which will kick off with a six-week preseason that offers all of the game's launch content, including 14 maps, five factions, 24 weapons, and more. This will be followed by the Year 1 content schedule, which comes with a bunch of new additions, including four factions, 12 weapons, and 12 maps.

"That's one new map every month," Rubin says. "All inspired by Ubisoft's amazing worlds. I think you may really be surprised at where we go."

For all the biggest and best games set to launch this year, check out our guide to new games 2023.

Originally from Ireland, I moved to the UK in 2014 to pursue a Games Journalism and PR degree at Staffordshire University. Following that, I've freelanced for GamesMaster, Games TM, Official PlayStation Magazine and, more recently, Play and GamesRadar+. My love of gaming sprang from successfully defeating that first Goomba in Super Mario Bros on the NES. These days, PlayStation is my jam. When not gaming or writing, I can usually be found scouring the internet for anything Tomb Raider related to add to my out of control memorabilia collection.