Video Gamer is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Prices subject to change. Learn more
XDefiant executive producer Mark Rubin recently confirmed that a Search and Destroy mode is in the works. This means the high-stakes, one-life, 6v6 mode could debut as early as Season 1, though, of course, this remains pure speculation for the time being. However, once it does make its way into the game’s rotation, what will the devs do to prevent players from spamming Echelon’s Intel Suit and DedSec’s Spider-Bot abilities at the start of a match?
If you’re waiting until the launch of XDefiant Season 1 to get into Ubisoft’s shooter, here’s a quick preview of how these faction-specific abilities work. Echelon’s Intel Suit essentially acts as a temporary “wall hack” — you’ll be able to see any player within a certain distance of you as long as it’s active. Conversely, DedSec’s Spider-Bot is exactly what its name implies. Once activated, a small mechanical spider scurries along the floor and facehugs the first enemy it sees. The unlucky player it latches onto is then slowed down tremendously, making them highly vulnerable.
Unsurprisingly, both have gained a ton of notoriety within the community, with the latter even being called “the worst thing ever made” by players. And with every faction ability being immediately available at the start of a match, the complaints surrounding these skills could ramp up even more once Ubisoft launches Search and Destroy.
Of course, one solution to prevent the use of these abilities at the beginning of SnD matches is to introduce an initial cooldown period. A cooldown would allow both attackers and defenders to set up without having to worry about being scouted out by enemy skills. Another less popular solution would be to remove the use of certain abilities in Search and Destroy, although player backlash on this decision would likely be huge.
It is worth noting, though, that Ubisoft is likely already aware of the complaints surrounding these abilities. With this in mind, the XDefiant dev team could already be devising a way to limit its effectiveness in Search and Destroy ahead of its launch. So, for now, only time will tell whether the solution they come up with can satisfy the game’s player base.
While you wait for SnD’s arrival, check out our pages on the best loadouts and class setups in XDefiant. You can also take a look at our XDefiant best weapon tier list for a quick view of what the in-game meta looks like.
