MW2 players claim Activison are “scared” of XDefiant as free weekend clashes with beta

Nathan Warby
XDefiant Old West map

Modern Warfare 2 players have accused Activation of being “scared” of rival FPS XDefiant after a free weekend of multiplayer was announced for the same dates as Ubisoft’s open beta.

Ubisoft’s XDefiant is the latest title trying to make a name for itself in the FPS space, taking factions from major games like The Division and Far Cry, and sprinkling them into a classic arena shooter. A number of former Call of Duty devs are working on the project, and streamers like FaZe Jev have claimed that XDefiant has what it takes to be a CoD killer.

With the XDefiant open beta now in progress, players on PlayStation and Xbox are getting their first taste of what the upcoming FPS has in store.

However, Activision announced that they would be hosting a free weekend of Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer at the same time, and fans didn’t believe it was a coincidence.

The Modern Warfare 2 free access period runs from June 22 to June 26, allowing players to sample the new Season 4 content. Meanwhile, the XDefiant open began on June 21 and goes on until June 23.

When CharlieIntel tweeted to announce the free weekend of multiplayer, a number of fans responded to criticize Activision for the move.

“Right after the XDefiant beta…coincidence? I think not,” said one reply. “You can tell how scared they are.”

“Same weekend as the XDefiant beta, which feels more like COD than COD,” said another player, sarcastically calling it a “nice try” on the publisher’s part.

Others pointed out that Activision pulled a similar trick when the XDefiant closed beta was announced, holding another free weekend for Modern Warfare 2 at the same time, forcing new players to choose between the two.

“CoD literally had a free week during the XDefiant beta because of how many players they lost during it,” claimed one response.

XDefiant is set to receive a full release later in 2023, so only time will tell if Ubisoft’s FPS will prove to be a real contender to Call of Duty’s throne.

If you’re hopping into the XDefaint open beta, check out the controller settings to run and how to claim Twitch drops.

About The Author

Nathan is a Senior Writer at CharlieIntel. He’s an expert in EA Sports FC, Call of Duty, and Overwatch, as well as superhero games, including Marvel’s Spider-Man. With a master's degree in Magazine Journalism from Nottingham Trent University, he worked as a Trainee Reporter for Derbyshire Live before moving into games media, with bylines at Dexerto, Cultured Vultures, and more. You can contact Nathan by email at [email protected].