XDefiant Season 2: Start date, new Highwaymen Faction, weapons, maps, more

XDefiant Season 2 is fast approaching and we now have the full rundown on what to expect. From a breakdown of abilities in the new Highwaymen Faction, to a look at three powerful weapons on the way, here’s everything coming throughout the next season.

Despite its many hiccups upon release, XDefiant has continued to barrel on ahead. With devs assuring the community of their long-term plans, as well as Ubisoft’s increase in support for the team, the future is looking a bit brighter than some reports have claimed.

Keeping the momentum rolling is a jam-packed second season. Season 2 of XDefiant comes with all the bells and whistles you’d expect, while also debuting the highly anticipated Bomb game mode, adding a new Faction, and plenty more in-between.

Here’s the full rundown on everything coming throughout Season 2 so you’re up to speed.

XDefiant Season 2 start date

XDefiant Season 2 is set to kickoff on Tuesday, September 24. We’ve known about this date for quite some time thanks to the Season 1 Battle Pass countdown.

There’s currently no word on an exact launch time, nor do we know how big the update may be. We’ll be sure to update you here as further details emerge.

Far Cry’s Highwaymen Faction join XDefiant

Keeping in line with earlier leaks, Ubisoft has confirmed Far Cry’s Highwaymen are next up to join the FPS. This rag-tag group from 2019’s New Dawn come equipped with two unique pieces of equipment along with a unique ultimate ability that could just flip any match on its head.

First, we have the M79 Grenade Launcher. This ability has a pretty hefty cooldown given its damage potential, though you won’t want to use it up close. Far more impactful from a distance, this gadget can defeat enemies and other pieces of equipment all the same. Bear in mind, you only get two shots before it goes back on cooldown.

Next is the Scrap Turret, an automated machine gun that fires at any enemies in its line of sight. While an automatic turret is handy for dealing damage, it’s also beneficial just to alert you of enemies outside of your field of view.

Last but not least comes the ultimate ability, the Saw Launcher. Lethal from close range, this weapon fires out saws that can then bounce off surfaces multiple times. Yes, it means you can technically kill enemies around corners if you place your shots well enough.

Beyond the new equipment, the Highwaymen Faction also boasts a new passive ability known as Revved. Revved awards fast-paced gameplay, providing boosts to rate of fire and reload speed after racking up kills.

You gain a slight boost to the stats with one kill, a bigger boost after two kills, and max it out with four consecutive kills. Dying resets it all.

The three new characters found in this Faction are as follows:

• Paulo
• Li’l T
• Nova

3 new maps

Devs have confirmed three new maps are on the way to XDefiant as well, though just one of these is being made available at the start of Season 2.

Waterfront will be available when Season 2 goes live, while Signal and Air & Space are both following later in the season. Expect to see one every few weeks to keep things fresh.

Ubisoft

New mode: Bomb!

After months of demands, XDefiant is finally getting its own version of a bomb defusal mode. Mirroring what we see in Counter-Strike or CoD with S&D, Bomb serves as a single-life, round-based, attack-and-defend style mode FPS fans will be all too familiar with.

Arriving at the launch of Season 2, the 6v6 mode will be available in casual play to start, as devs iron out any kinks and squash any bugs before it makes its way into Ranked in a 4v4 format.

New weapons include an SMG, LMG, and a Shotgun

Three new weapons are joining XDefiant’s arsenal as part of the Season 2 update, with all three available for free in the new Battle Pass.

First, we have the PP-19 SMG. As the fifth SMG in the game so far, this one stands out with a unique focus on damage and accuracy. It has the highest damage potential of any weapon in its class, along with a huge magazine and consistent recoil to keep your shots on target.

Next is the L86 LSW LMG, a weapon that may fool with its appearance. While classified as an LMG, this gun is more akin to an AR with faster movement and ADS speed, along with a smaller mag.

Rounding out the trio of new guns is the SPAS-12, an iconic shotgun with lethal potential in any close-range gunfights.

Private Matches and quality-of-life improvements on the way

As for additional features in Season 2, we know for certain Private Matches are finally coming, though an exact date hasn’t been locked in just yet. With their arrival at some stage in Season 2, however, it means community competitions and grassroots tournaments can properly get underway.

Private Matches will launch in Beta to begin with, meaning players should expect some hiccups along the way as devs aren’t quite ready to release it in full.

Beyond that, the Season 2 roadmap also lists improvements to mantling, player collision, and footstep audio, to name a few. Ranked will finally be getting its Top 500 leaderboard directly in game, and players in the competitive mode will be able to vote on maps moving forward as well.

That’s everything coming at launch and throughout Season 2 of XDefiant on September 24. We’ll be sure to update you here with any last-minute changes before it all goes live.