XDefiant is already pretty cut-throat, but the new ranked mode will present a unique challenge for uber-competitive players. But before hitting play, it’s worth taking a look at how XDefiant ranked mode really works.
Since its release, XDefiant has been without a ranked mode, but that hasn’t stopped players from grinding hard in casual game modes.
It’s safe to say XDefiant is inherently an extremely competitive game, and now Ubisoft has added a new wrinkle with ranked, a game mode specifically for serious players looking to earn RP (Ranked Points).
Thankfully, it works similarly to competitive queues in other popular shooters, but here’s a rundown of XDefiant ranked mode to jog your memory.
How does XDefiant ranked mode work?
XDefiant ranked mode will be played between two teams of four players, matched based on skill. This means you’ll be queued against those who are within your MMR (MatchMaking Rating). If you win, you gain RP, and vice versa.
To keep things fair, the ranked system will match you against players within 15 levels above or below your current rank in XDefiant. You may also call this your hidden MMR pool. While progress purely depends on winning and losing, your personal performance will be taken into account while distributing RP.
For example, if you had been bot-fragging in a game your team won, you’ll be granted less RP compared to the top scorer on your team. Points earned from contributing to the objective will also be factored in.
This approach will help individual players not to bear the full brunt of a loss due to poor teammates. In other words, if you’re the top scorer and your team loses, you’ll lose fewer RP compared to other players.
All XDefiant ranks and RP explained
There are a total of seven rank divisions in XDefiant, each comprising ten levels, except for the top rank, Legends. Every tier corresponds to 100 RP.
Here are all the ranks with their names:
- Bronze
- Silver
- Gold
- Ruby
- Emerald
- Diamond
- Legends
In XDefiant ranked mode, you need a total of 100 points to progress to the next level. For example, if you’re Bronze, you’ll need 100 RP to become Bronze 2 and so on until you reach Silver. Losing RP will obviously slow down the progress.
If you’re looking to 4-stack, you would want to find players within your same MMR pool, which is anywhere below or above 15 levels of your current rank.
For example, if you’re Gold 1, you can only queue with players above Bronze 5 and under Ruby 5. This restriction gets severe on ranks above Diamond, where you can only play as duos.
Rank reset will happen every new season. By default, the reset rank for all players will be Silver unless you’re Bronze. In that case, you’ll start from the same level you were in the last season
New players will be glad to know that they’ll be able to practice in the ranked mode without losing their precious RP. Ubisoft has called it the Ranked Practice Period, which will run for one week ahead of each season.
XDefiant ranked rewards
At the end of each season, all players will gain some sort of reward that would reflect their ranked achievements. A list of the top 500 players in XDefiant will be released on the game’s official blog. These players will also get an exclusive reward, starting from season 2.
The reward for the top 500 players teased in the trailer is a bright orange M4A1 skin. For season 2, Ubisoft has announced an LVOA-C skin for the top players, which is a newly announced weapon.
XDefiant ranked game modes
Ubisoft has announced four different game modes for XDefiant ranked, with Capture The Flag available soon. The familiar game modes will work slightly differently in competitive queues:
- Ocuppy: In Occupy, teams of four contest a moving point, which rotates in a predetermined order. Therefore, aiming won’t be enough, but a team with a better grasp of the rotating order may gain an edge.
- Domination: Each team will have five minutes to play on one side of the map. The 10-minute mode will be divided into two halves.
- Zone Control: Teams will take turns as attackers and defenders, but there’s a twist. The defending team will be able to reduce the attacking team’s capture progress by standing in a zone.
- Escort: This game mode will play the same way as it does in casual.
This is all you need to know about XDefiant ranked mode before jumping into the competitive madness in season 1.
READ MORE: Best LVOA-C loadout for XDefiant — powerful new assault rifle
