XDefiant is helping players realize that SBMM is their friend

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SBMM in any online FPS has often been a point of contention for a game’s community — just ask any CoD player in the past few years. So, to address the potential complaints in advance, Ubisoft developed XDefiant without the ever-controversial feature included (outside of its Welcome Playlist). Now, you’d think its players would be enjoying the game even more since you aren’t being matched with ‘sweats’ all the time. However, some are now realizing that not having SBMM may be worse than the alternative.

Over on Reddit, u/Intelligent_Slip440, presumably after playing several XDefiant matches, realized that SBMM wasn’t what was ruining FPSs for them. “The average skill of players is just through the roof nowadays compared to what it was 10-15 years ago,” they said. “There is no such thing as a casual shooter anymore.”

Of course, with some of the most popular games in the past few years being first-person shooters (CoD, Counter-Strike 2, Apex Legends, Fortnite, etc.), raising the bar for player skill was almost inevitable. In. the current era of gaming, it’s nearly impossible to avoid being matched with ‘sweats’ because, unlike other genres, FPSs are designed to have a winning and losing team, which unsurprisingly brings out the competitive nature of its players.

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So, whether you’re a fan of SBMM or not, facing players who do everything within their power to win is almost a foregone conclusion. Skill-based matchmaking does, at least, make it easier for less skilled gamers to face others on a level playing field — something that XDefiant does not have. However, a lack of SBMM in XDefiant isn’t necessarily a drawback. After all, being matched with better players forces you to improve at the game, which can only help you out in the long run.

That said, if you want to have an easier time winning in Ubisoft’s recently released shooter, check out our guides on the best XDefiant loadouts and class setups. You can also take a look at the best TAC-50 sniper loadout in XDefiant if you prefer this weapon’s deadly long-range precision.


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About the Author

Nico Vergara

Nico Vergara is a Trends Writer for VideoGamer.com. When not writing about or playing RPGs, he spends time playing basketball, watching the latest movies, and brooding about his favorite sports teams.

XDefiant

  • Platform(s): PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X
  • Genre(s): First-Person Shooter, Multiplayer, Shooter