XDefiant Factions Guide: Everything You Need To Know

This XDefiant factions guide helps players learn about the different factions available in the game to choose which one suits their preferred playstyle. (Credit: Ubisoft)

Ubisoft's XDefiant is a free-to-play first-person shooter game that has a variety of features, including powerful weapons and unique factions.

This guide will focus on the different factions that are available in the game and what each one will give players, including abilities.

The first thing players should know is that, at the time of writing, XDefiant features six different factions; Cleaners, DedSec, Echelon, GSK, Libertad, and Phantoms.

Another thing to note is that the game's factions are all derived from Ubisoft's other game franchises. This means that for those who have played the studio's other games, some of the abilities that the factions provide will seem a bit familiar.

Cleaners

The first faction, the Cleaners, are from Ubisoft's The Division franchise and specialize in using fire as their main tool. Furthermore, they are experts in area denial and are suited for a more offensive playstyle, according to OneEsports.

Here are the abilities that you get from this faction:

• Firebomb - this activated ability detonates a Molotov cocktail that causes explosive damage and will light the area on fire.
• Incinerator Drone - activating this ability sends a Napalm-delivering drone forward that will burn everything in its flightpath before exploding to deal more damage.
• Incendiary Rounds - this passive trait enables players' incendiary ammo to inflict extra burn damage but shortens their effective range.
• The Purifier - this is the ultra ability that will have your character pull out a powerful flamethrower for a short time.

DedSec

The DedSec faction is a group of expert hackers who come from the Watch Dogs universe to bring their disruptive technology. They focus on stunning enemies and destroying their equipment, said GamesRadar.

The abilities you get from this faction are the following:

• Spiderbot - this active ability will send out a robot spider that will locate the nearest enemy and stun them.
• Hijack - using this ability lets you hack nearby enemy equipment and abilities to benefit your team instead.
• Fabricator - this passive trait will start printing a new device when you deploy one.
• Lockout - the ultra ability for this faction will prevent enemies in the area from using their abilities and ultra, effectively leaving them with only their weapons.

Echelon

The Echelon faction is made up of NSA agents that come from Ubisoft's Splinter Cell franchise and are amazing in offensive strategies but specialize in stealth.

The abilities you get from this faction are the following:

• Digital Ghillie Suit - this ability will make your character nearly invisible, making it nearly impossible to see if not paying attention.
• Intel Suit - using this ability will emit sonar waves that will share enemy locations periodically.
• Low Profile - with this passive trait, your character will not appear on the enemies' mini-maps.
• Sonar Goggles - the ultra ability for the Echelon faction can reveal enemies and hunt them down with Sam Fisher's 5.7 pistol.

GSK

The GSK faction is so far the newest in XDefiant and was released in the game's Season 1 coming from Rainbow Six Siege. This faction focuses on defense using barbed wire and neutralizer grenades.

These are the abilities that you get with this faction:

• Shock Wire - the first active ability has three charges of electrified barbed wire that can be dropped and will slow and damage enemies that step on them.
• ADS - the active defense system is capable of destroying any incoming throwables from enemies.
• Hard Hat - this passive trait provides players with protection from headshots.
• Flash Shield - the ultra ability of this faction is a ballistic shield that has a built-in stun light.

Libertad

Filled with freedom fighters from the Far Cry franchise, the Libertad faction is extremely good at providing healing support for their teammates.

The abilities that this ability gives you are:

• BioVida Boost - using this ability will send out a fortifying wave that will boost the health regeneration of your entire team.
• El Remedio - you can use this ability to throw a revitalizing gas canister that will heal teammates until it is destroyed or canceled.
• Espritu de Libertad - the passive trait for this faction gives off a contagious spirit of freedom that heals you and your nearby teammates.
• Medico Supremo - this ultra ability will deploy a Medico backpack for a large health and healing boost inside a certain area.

Phantoms

Last but not least, the Phantom faction is a group of people from the Ghost Recon franchise who have increased health and various types of shields, according to DigitalTrends.

These are the abilities that this particular faction provides:

• Mag Barrier - the first active ability has you throwing out an electromagnetic shield that can block incoming fire and grenades.
• Blitz Shield - the blitz shield grants players a protective tactical shield to protect them from melee attacks.
• Hardened - the hardened passive gives your character higher maximum health than other factions.
• Aegis - the ultra ability for the Phantoms surrounds your character with a plasma shield and grants you a close-quarters scattergun.