XDefiant Season 2 reveals new chaotic Far Cry faction coming

It’s time to get wild! XDefiant’s first season is about to end, and we’ve just seen the first reveal of what new content Ubisoft has cooked up for the second season.

After a solid first season introducing the GSK faction, several new themed maps, weapons, and a new mode, season two will see the iconic Highwaymen faction rolling into the XDefiant ranks including new weapons, an explosive new game mode, a map and even private matches being added.

Out of Ubisoft’s catalogue of IP, a Far Cry group definitely is a banger of a choice for the game’s next faction. The Highwaymen hale from Far Cry New Dawn for those familiar with the series. The Highwaymen are known as a gang of bikers who ravage Hope County in the wake of nuclear fallout. Known for their ruthless, scrappy nature the faction will definitely be shaking things up. The group of 3 new characters bring a wild burst of colour to the game roster that I’m really excited to play.

The Highwaymen faction is quite deadly with a snowballing revved passive that buffs their rate of fire and reload speed after successive kills. You’ll want to avoid letting them get a good kill streak going! This faction also packs a turret as one of their specialised abilities. The scrap turret has 360-degree coverage, allowing for good space control for limited periods. The group’s other ability is a reliable 2-shot grenade launcher. Their ultra ability is the brutal saw launcher! This crew is going to be a very formidable addition to the roster in XDefiant season 2.

Like the first season, season two introduces three new maps to ring in the arrival of the Highwaymen. Waterfront is an expanded arena map dripping in that signature Far Cry New Dawn frenetic colour. The map is a clever mix of tight corners and wider spaces with a skate park at its heart. These IP maps reflect considerable effort in balancing fun gameplay with honoring Far Cry New Dawn’s vibrant aesthetic.

Along with Waterfront, we’ll see the arrival of an additional two maps throughout the season. They are called Signal and Air & Space. Waterfront will definitely keep things interesting for a while but I do wonder if these will be Ubisoft IP maps or original XDefiant maps. With the addition of these three maps, the game will feature 20 maps in total!

Other additions this season will include some fresh weapons that can be earned in the free battle pass for the season. These include;

• The PP-19: a sub-machine gun with a focus on damage and accuracy that will be an instant favourite for players who like SMGs but prefer a more controlled sense of play.
• The L86 L5W: a compact light machine gun allowing for faster movement and shooting, perfect for those who prioritize mobility.
• The SPAS-12: Is a powerful semi-automatic shotgun that excels at killing players in two successive shots.

After a light tease in season 1, the heavily anticipated Bomb game mode is finally coming. The one-life, one-round mode sees players on opposing sides working to either detonate or diffuse a bomb at one of two points on the maps. The team-oriented mode requires players to communicate and work together because if you die in a round, you are gone till the next one begins! The mode won’t be available in the competitive playlist till later in season two.

Private matches are also coming. You’ll be able to set up an entirely customised experience so get ready to go head-to-head with your friends if you’re not feeling like playing with random sweats. You pick the mode, the map and the other settings much like any other private match. It’s not yet known if these private matches will feature bots but this could be a great way to test weapon loadouts next season. Private matches are a significant win for the community because they enable grassroots tournaments, helping the competitive scene run game competitions.

XDefiant season 2 will begin September 24 so if you haven’t quite finished your season 1 battle pass, now is a good time to get on that! I’m interested to see how the new Highwaymen faction plays in the roster. With their addition, players will have 7 different playstyles to choose from across the roster of 21 characters. The second season will also feature a new battle pass of 90 tiers of cosmetics. The pass retails for $14.95 AUD or 1000 XCoins which is the in-game currency.

There’s still a lot in store for XDefiant such as quality-of-life updates including improvements to the mantling, player collisions, better footstep audio and ranked match voting so expect to see a few changes when the new season arrives.

You can download and play XDefiant for free on PlayStation, Xbox and PC now.