XDefiant Preload Date & Time, Road to Launch Revealed; Matchmaking Explained
It’s almost upon us! Ubisoft’s arcade free-to-play shooter XDefiant is launching in just a few days on May 21. For those curious, yes, you will be able to preload the game client ahead of the start date, and we have that alongside an explanation of how matchmaking works in the game.
XDefiant Preload and Launch Date & Time:
Preload start time (all platforms):
- US, Canada: May 16 at 1 pm ET/10 am PT
- Asia and Oceania: May 17 at 3 am AET/1 am HKT
- Europe: May 16 at 7 pm CEST
Launch start time (all platforms)
- US, Canada: May 21 at 1 pm ET/10 am PT
- Asia and Oceania: May 22 at 3 am AET/1 am HKT
- Europe: May 21 at 7 pm CEST
Alongside the preload and launch times, Ubisoft also has a road to launch! Expect a look at the Battle Pass, matches and more to be revealed before the game launches.
It’s a busy week on deck, you ready?
💥 5/16- Launch trailer and Pre-load starts
💥 5/17- XDebrief Preseason Episode
💥 5/20- Battle Pass Trailer drops
💥 5/21- Tips & Tricks
💥 5/21- All-Star Series Finals
💥 5/21- Preseason LIVE!https://t.co/1aY9mPr5ZI pic.twitter.com/HuXAVQ81Kq— XDefiant (@PlayXDefiant) May 13, 2024
5/16- Launch trailer and Pre-load starts
5/17- XDebrief Preseason Episode
5/20- Battle Pass Trailer drops
5/21- Tips & Tricks
5/21- All-Star Series Finals
5/21- Preseason LIVE
Now, for those who didn’t know, XDefiant won’t feature SBMM (skill-based matchmaking), though there is, of course, still a matchmaking algorithm in place. The devs explained this in detail and what factors are prioritized.
Matchmaking Factors
Each playlist will prioritize different factors when finding you a match. These factors are sorted based on the intended gameplay experience for the individual playlist. In short:
Casual Play matchmaking puts a priority on fast connection times. It will try to match latency and regions where possible.
Ranked Play matchmaking prioritizes quality matches; it will wait longer for appropriate players. It is segmented by Rank levels and will only matchmake players within Rank range. It also employs latency and region preferences where possible. Ranked play will be added in a future season, so make sure to keep your skills sharp in Casual Play until then.
The complete list is below (in descending order of priority):
For Casual Play
- Latency
- Prefers similar pings.
- Avoided Players
- Restricts matchmaking between any players currently avoiding one another through muting.
- Party Size
- Prefers to match parties against parties of similar size.
- Region
- Prefers players from the same region/language.
- Input Device
- Prefers players using the same input method.
- Platform
- Prefers players using the same platform. (PC, Xbox, PS)
For Ranked Play
- Rank Points (RP)
- Only matches within acceptable Rank range.
- Latency
- Prefers similar pings.
- Party Size
- Prefers to match squads against squads of similar size.
- Region
- Prefers players from the same region/language.
- Input Device
- Prefers players using the same input method.
- Platform
- Prefers players using the same platform. (PC, Xbox, PS)
Additional Info
Team Balancing
Once a lobby is populated, Teams are balanced based on players’ Skill Rating. The casual lobby does not use skill to determine who gets into the game, but once everyone shows up it balances the teams for a fun match.
Input Device Lock
Some playlists will enforce Input Device Locking. (Such as Ranked) When players start matchmaking, the input device they are using becomes “locked-in” and cannot be switched without leaving the lobby. This is to prevent players from intentionally joining with the wrong input device to trick the matchmaker.
Lobby Persistence
In Casual playlists, the default behavior of lobbies is to persist between matches. This means subsequent games will often include the same players from the previous match. Teams, however, are shuffled each match.
For a look at the launch content available on May 21, head on over here. Stay tuned for more XDefiant coverage here on MP1st, as we have an interview with the devs going up soon.
Stay connected to MP1st and the latest news by following us on Bluesky, X, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, and Google News.
