Ubisoft Responds to XDefiant Grind Complaints with Major Weapon XP Overhaul!

Ubisoft has acknowledged player complaints about the grind in its recently released shooter XDefiant. To address these issues, which were partially introduced by a previous update, the company has announced major changes to the XDefiant Weapon XP grind.

XDefiant made waves in May 2024 as a new free-to-play arena shooter, but it wasn't without its share of player complaints. Many of these complaints centered around the slow speed of weapon level gains. Ubisoft attempted to address this with an update on June 18, 2024, which decreased the amount of Weapon XP required to level up a weapon. However, the update also added more Weapon Mastery levels, increasing the total grind needed to unlock Gold, Silver, and Bronze skins for weapons.

This change prompted backlash from players who resented the increased grind to level up their best XDefiant weapons. Ubisoft has heard their feedback. According to a post from the official XDefiant Twitter account, the company will implement further adjustments that essentially double the speed of Weapon Level gain for all players.

XDefiant Teases Future Boosts to Weapon XP Gain

In Ubisoft's preview of the next set of changes targeting Weapon Mastery levels, Primary weapons will now require just 1,500 XP to level up (down from 3,000), and secondary weapons will require just 500 XP to level up (down from 1,000). This adjustment should make it much easier to unlock the coveted weapon skins for the many weapons in XDefiant. However, Ubisoft did not specify when these changes would be implemented.

XDefiant Executive Producer Mark Rubin added that the adjustments to Weapon Mastery will also be retroactive, meaning all players will receive a significant boost in their current level, as their accumulated Weapon XP will now count for more. Rubin mentioned that the team "feared" players would finish the Weapon Mastery grind too quickly, making the rewards feel "less special." However, he conceded that the team had made a mistake by changing progression while the game was live, which devalued the effort players had already put in.

Between the changes to mechanics and progression and leaks that suggest exciting future XDefiant factions, the future looks bright for the game and its current fans. Ubisoft has shown a high level of responsiveness to player feedback, which bodes well for maintaining and growing its community over time.