The XDefiant Closed Beta brings here fast-paced multiplayer first-person shooter action between factions inspired by different Ubisoft games. If you haven’t already, you can sign up for a chance to play here. The closed beta features four playable factions with 16 unique abilities, five game modes across 14 maps, and 24 weapons with 44 attachments. Each of XDefiant’s factions opens up new gameplay opportunities that can dramatically change the way you play, which is helpful because each of the five game modes requires a different strategy. For those diving into the Closed Beta this week, here are some starter tips on what we think are the best faction synergies for each game mode.

Whenever you spawn in XDefiant, you can choose your faction, which determines your passive trait, activated and Ultra ability as well as your loadout, which determines the weapons you use. Game modes in XDefiant are divided into two categories: Arena and Linear. Arena matches pit both teams against each other to score higher than their opponents in symmetrical gameplay. Linear matches put one side on offense and the other on defense, and force you to use different tactics. To help you adapt on the fly and gain an advantage in each game mode, here are some recommendations on how to use each faction’s strengths to your advantage.

Domination

Starting with Arena modes, we have Domination, where teams compete to capture and control three points on the map. Because points are fixed and holding them is the name of the game, you’re going to want factions that specialize in area denial and defense, like The Cleaners (The Division) and The Phantoms (Ghost Recon). The Cleaner’s Incinerator Drone will lay down a band of fire that can cut off roads, zone the entire enemy team, or split them apart. Or, if you’re looking to make a splash, their Firebomb ability launches a Molotov cocktail onto the ground covering the immediate area on fire. It’s a powerful ability that can instantly clear an area of ​​enemy presence, provided you can get close enough to trigger it. You might not survive this up close and personal, but neither will your opponents, leaving your teammates free to take control. If all else fails, remember the purifier; The Cleaners’ Ultra ability arms you with a powerful flamethrower that will roast anyone in your path. Once an area is yours, you’ll need to hold onto it, and that’s where the magic ghost barrier comes in. Place one or two to block enemy bullets while you and your allies fight back through the one-way barrier.

To occupy

In Occupy, there is only one area to capture. It may seem simple, but the area constantly changes location, forcing you to be mobile and adapt to your surroundings. This is where the Echelon (Splinter Cell) shines. Their digital ghillie suit will make you nearly invisible, allowing you to sneak up on them to get the upper hand on unsuspecting opponents and help your allies clear an occupied area. When you need help moving from area to area, call Libertad (Far Cry 6). Not only does their passive trait provide area-of-effect healing over time, their BioVida Boost activated ability increases the overall health and health regeneration of all nearby allies. That extra 20 hit points can go a long way toward winning a shootout. When you really need that extra juice, activate Libertad’s Ultra, the Medical Supremo, which doubles your health and greatly increases your healing for a limited time.

hot shot

(This mode won’t be available at the start of the Closed Beta, but stay tuned for updates by April 23.)

The last Arena mode is HotShot. When you kill an opponent in Hotshot, they drop a bounty, which you then collect to guarantee your team a point. You can also grab bounties from your allies to deny points to the enemy team. The player in the match who holds the most bounties at a time becomes the Hotshot, gaining improved movement speed, reload speed, and fire rate. Any bounties the HotShot collects are also worth more, but this player is tagged for everyone to see and follow at all times. Attack and Speed ​​are key in HotShot, so Echelon’s digital ghillie suit is great for snatching bounties, but their Intel suit is just as useful, especially for HotShots themselves. Everyone might know where you are, but you can reciprocate thanks to the Intel suit’s ability to detect nearby enemies.

If you really want to let your opponents down, Echelon’s Ultra ability, Sonar Goggles, will reveal all enemies through walls and arm players with Sam Fisher’s 5.7 pistol, which has increased damage and lets you work fast. on the opposing team. While the objective is to pick up bounties, you’re going to have to earn firefights, and you know what helps in firefights? Additional health. Use Empowered Ghost’s passive ability – to always have 20 extra base hit points, or trigger Libertad’s BioVida boost to get more health and regeneration. Health regeneration is especially useful in extended gunfights or when you’re barely making a trade.

Escort

Escort is a linear mode that tasks one team to escort a package along a pre-determined route and the other team to stop them. Attackers move the package by being nearby – the more nearby teammates, the faster it moves. Defenders can stop the deck by pushing attackers away or contesting the area, and they can even reverse the deck if they have full control of it. The Phantoms’ Blitz Shield is a particularly powerful activated ability as it will give you almost 100% frontal cover against gunfire, allowing you to get to the package easier and stay longer. When the match is in play and you only need to move the pack a few more inches to reach the next checkpoint or finish line, that’s the perfect time to pop the Phantom’s Ultra, the AEGIS. The AEGIS lays around you a bulletproof shield large enough for your teammates to fit into. Get on the deck, activate the AEGIS and the enemy team will have a hard time stopping you.

Stopping you is, of course, the team’s goal on defense, and they have plenty of tools to do that. Echelon’s Digital Ghillie Suit is great for surprising the attacking team from unpredictable angles, while the Cleaners’ Incinerator Drone and Firebomb can move them out of the box. If all else fails, use the Attackers’ tactics against them – pull out a Blitz Shield and push them back out of the objective while they’re distracted by your teammates.

Area control

Finally, there’s Zone Control: five static zones laid out in a linear map. Attackers must stand in areas to advance their capture gauge. Any progress they make in capturing it is permanent, and defenders cannot reduce the capture meter. Once the attacking team has secured a location, they can move on to the next area on the map. Here, the magnetic barrier blocking the bullets of the Phantoms can be very useful, since capturing areas takes much longer than in Domination or Occupy. If you get pinned down by Defender sniper fire, the Phantoms Blitz Shield is always your friend when you need to get to the objective. Static areas are also prime locations for Libertad’s El Remedio ability. Cast this ability and it will scatter a cloud of healing to all allies within range. The best part is that it stays where you threw it, even after you die. The only way to get rid of it is to destroy it or negate the ability. So if you’re having trouble getting to and staying in focus, throw El Remedio and help your team whether you’re alive or dead.

These are just some of the strategies you can employ across XDefiant’s five modes, but with the variety of factions and loadouts available, there’s plenty of room to discover your own winning style. Additionally, a fifth faction, DedSec, will join as a fifth faction at a later date, allowing players to use battlefield hacks and other new strategies.

So what are you waiting for? The XDefiant Closed Beta ends on April 23, sign up for a chance to play here. Certain rewards you unlock by playing will carry over to the full game when it launches later this year on PlayStation, Xbox, PC via Ubisoft Connect and Amazon Luna. For more on XDefiant, be sure to visit news.ubisoft.com.