Killstreaks or Scorestreaks? The XDefiant Community Divided on Call of Duty Feature Implementation

By Carlton Murphy Last updated Apr 25, 2023

Ubisoft Executive Producer Mark Rubin suggested a killstreak game mode for XDefiant. However, the community was unable to agree on it. During its open beta, XDefiant won over FPS enthusiasts’ admiration and convinced several angry CoD players to switch sides. YouTuber FaZe Jev, a longtime series veteran, dubbed Ubisoft’s most recent shooter a “CoD killer,” saying that the game’s poorest map is superior to any CoD map in recent memory.

Former CoD World Champion and current XDefiant developer ‘Aches’ made matters worse by outlining a feature that Call of Duty League players and fans would love to see in their game. Although the two games are remarkably similar, Ubisoft doesn’t necessarily want to make a near-exact replica. Rubin, well-known for his work on Call of Duty: Ghosts, MW2 (2009), and MW4, expressed reservations about bringing a venerable CoD feature to XDefiant.

Members of the XDefiant community disagree on killstreaks

Killstreaks, in which a player scores a set number of kills in a row without losing the video game, are a mainstay of Call of Duty. Rubin ruled out the possibility of killstreaks in XDefiant but left open the case of a temporary game mode that emphasizes kills. We don’t have any plans for killstreaks, but what if we created a mode where three kills earned you the ability, and seven earned you an Ultra? In order to evaluate interest, Rubin underlined that he would prefer to encourage objective income above hunting out kills.

Hey All, we don't currently have any plans for killstreaks, but what if we made a mode where 3 kills got you your ability and 7 your Ultra or something along those lines.
— Mark Rubin (@PixelsofMark) April 24, 2023

“This idea sounds underwhelming and unnecessary,” one participant retorted. Let’s not diminish the entertaining elements already there in the game. Others in the community, though, prefer something more akin to CoD. “This is a beautiful idea. Hero shooters don’t hold my interest as a COD player, but this sounds like a great compromise where it’s earned and improves the overall balance.

A third player in the middle of the conversation said, “A score streak system would be a good idea.” Scorestreaks encourage players to play the goal as well as score kills. This would stop users from neglecting goals and encourage them to pursue both simultaneously. There is little time left to test Ubisoft’s most recent shooter before the XDefiant closed beta ends on April 25.