With the promise of new maps on the horizon, many fans hope that XDefiant will draw upon the impressive collection of locales from Ubisoft’s rich gaming history for future maps. XDefiant already has an impressive selection of maps and game modes for you to sink your teeth into. The 14 maps currently on offer grant players access to maps inspired by Ubisoft’s The Division, Far Cry, and Watch Dogs, to name a few.
However, players are itching to see more map variety for future content in the game’s upcoming seasons. With a huge library of games and IP to draw from, there is huge potential for a wider array of unique and interesting maps to battle in. While the map design itself has been generally praised, many seem to feel that Ubisoft is not tapping into the creative potential regarding the treasure trove of IP they are sitting on.
It’s true that with XDefiant’s clear focus on competing with the likes of Call of Duty, it has leaned more into the realms of realism to compete in that space. However, with Ubisoft’s rich and storied backlog, we reckon they can tap into some of their long-running franchises to set themselves apart from the competition. Here are our best picks for Ubisoft game locations we’d love to see in XDefiant!
5. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
This one may seem a bit out of left field, but hear me out. As one of my favorite games of all time, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time has a special place in my heart. The game centers around the young Prince as he works to undo the cursed Sand’s corruption by making his way through a winding palace full of traps, puzzles, and baddies. It may all sound very fantastical and not the sort of place you’d expect to see a military shooter, but that’s kind of the point.
Having a map that’s based on a portion of Sands of Time’s dangerous palace halls has lots of potential for fun gameplay ideas. Firstly, the map could be a lot more vertical than XDefiant’s launch maps. There would be lots of opportunities for winding paths and choke points. It would also be interesting to include some of the series’ iconic death traps that litter the palace.
Plus, Prince of Persia is having a bit of a resurgence lately. With last year’s The Lost Crown, the more recent Rogue Prince of Persia, and the upcoming remake for Sands of Time, it’s clear that fans are looking for more ways to get reacquainted with the beloved series. What better way than running and gunning your way through the sand-infested halls of a trap-filled palace?
4. Far Cry: Blood Dragon
When Blood Dragon released in 2013 as DLC for Far Cry 3, it was a surprise that was embraced with open arms.
Coming completely out of nowhere, Blood Dragon was a small standalone expansion that featured a gruff 80s hero as he blasted his way through cyborgs, mutants, and the titular Blood Dragons against a VHS-era cyberpunk imagining of the future. It was visually stunning and came before the widespread use of neon-inspired cyberpunk worlds that are pretty commonplace in gaming today.
For XDefiant, Blood Dragon feels like a no-brainer. With the cyberpunk genre being all the rage, the slick neon aesthetics will fit right at home in Ubisoft’s free-to-play FPS title. If it includes some of the Blood Dragon’s unique weaponry and off-the-wall humor, we could see this one being a favorite amongst fans. Here’s hoping!
3. Rainbow Six Siege: House
Any fan of Rainbow Six Siege will be immediately familiar with the iconic House map that was first shown during the game’s first reveal back in E3 2014. It takes place in a United States suburban domicile, with three floors and plenty of rooms for close-quarters skirmishes.
While not the best Siege map by any means, House is still fondly thought of in the community, mainly due to nostalgia. It featured tense in-your-face gun fights and cool destructible environments. The Cleaners’ Firebomb would take advantage of the various chokepoints on offer, while the Digital Ghille Suit ability of the Echelon faction would ensure you get the drop on your enemies.
We can’t imagine you’d be able to play all game modes on a potential House map, but we reckon XDefiant’s Occupy and Domination modes would work a treat here.
2. Assassin’s Creed: Venice
For a franchise that features locations from all over the globe that spans thousands of years, it’s hard to pick just one locale that does the entire series justice. We reckon we’ve done it, though. Despite iconic locations such as Rome from Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood, the Caribbean from Black Flag, or Jerusalem from the original game, Venice from Assassin’s Creed 2 just edges out the top spot.
Venice was where Ezio Auditore famously embarked on a Templar killing spree in the 15th century and is often what fans think of when they ponder the glory days of the Assassin’s Creed series. More than its sullied history full of political intrigue, Assassin’s Creed’s Venice is drop-dead gorgeous.
We would love an XDefiant rendition of Venice to bring it to current-gen visual standards. It would be great to shoot enemies in the face against the beautiful backdrop of the Grand Canal and the Basilica di San Marco Cathedral. Hopefully, Venice will drop in XDefiant alongside the game’s inevitable and eventual Assassins and Templars factions.
1. Rainbow Six: Vegas
Vegas is one of the most quintessential games in the Rainbow Six franchise. Originally released on the Xbox 360 in 2006 to widespread critical acclaim, the game received praise for its tense combat and immersive tactical shooter gameplay. It had a beloved multiplayer mode of its own and spawned a well-favored direct sequel. As well as its fantastic gameplay, a lot of Vegas’ success is partly down to the use of its iconic setting.
Las Vegas was a brilliant spot for a bit of FPS tactical mayhem. We’d love to see some reworked maps from Vegas and Vegas 2 make their way to XDefiant, as the blueprint for greatness is already baked right in. We’d like to see a mix between the slot machine-filled Casino from Vegas’ Calypso Casino with the ethereal glow of Neon Graveyard from Vegas 2. Throw in Bravo Team as a faction and that’d seal the deal.
For more like this, check out the top 5 best long-running live service games. You may also be interested in our XDefiant best weapons tier list here.
