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XDefiant factions guide: all abilities and ultras

A Defiant standing with a gun in front of a large yellow X.
Ubisoft

XDefiant certainly has plenty of guns and fast-paced gameplay to offer right out of the gate, but if you want to make the most of your options in gunfights, you’ll need to choose a faction that complements your playstyle. Each faction features three unlockable characters who all share universal passives, abilities, and ultras that can turn the tide of battle in a heartbeat. Below, we’ve listed a breakdown of each faction and their kits so you can figure out what suits you best.

Note: You can change your faction mid-battle, so always feel free to swap between them on the fly to better help your team accomplish specific tasks.

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Cleaners

Cleaners are heavy damage dealers from The Division franchise, and they feature a kit designed around cleansing everything with deadly fire.

  • Passive: Incendiary Rounds — Bullets inflict fire damage at the cost of reduced range.
  • Ability 1: Incinerator Drone — A drone drops napalm and burns everything in a straight line.
  • Ability 2: Firebomb — Detonates a Molotov cocktail at your feet to ignite everything around you.
  • Ultra: The Purifier — Grants you a flamethrower for a limited time.

DeadSec

DeadSec brings hacking to the forefront, capitalizing on their well-known disruption from the Watch Dogs franchise.

  • Passive: Fabricator — Fabricates a new device after each time you deploy one.
  • Ability 1: Hijack — Hacks enemy-deployed abilities to make them your own.
  • Ability 2: Spiderbot — Deploys a spiderbot that targets and attaches to the face of nearby foes to stun them.
  • Ultra: Lockout — Disables your foes’ HUD, mini-map, and abilities in your general area.

Echelon

Echelon from Splinter Cell are recon specialists who prioritize stealth and revealing enemy locations to everyone on your team.

  • Passive: Low Profile — You don’t appear on enemy mini-maps under any circumstances.
  • Ability 1: Digital Ghillie Suit — Renders you nearly invisible for a limited time.
  • Ability 2: Intel Suit — Highlights the location of nearby enemies for you and your team.
  • Ultra: Sonar Goggles — Reveals all enemies on the map and grants you a deadly Third Eheclon 5.7 pistol for a brief time.

Libertad

Far Cry 6‘s Libertad is all about healing, providing various regenerative and health-boosting abilities for you and your allies.

  • Passive: Espíritu de — Constantly regens health for you and nearby allies.
  • Ability 1: BioVida Boost — Sends out a wave that increases health for you and nearby allies.
  • Ability 2: El Remedio — Throws a gas canister that heals any allies within it until destroyed or canceled.
  • Ultra: Médico Supremo — Doubles health and provides a healing boost for a limited time.

Phantoms

Phantoms from the Ghost Recon franchise are the most defensive class in the game, offering increased health and multiple types of shields to protect your team.

  • Passive: Hardened — Has a higher maximum health than other classes.
  • Ability 1: Mag Barrier — Throws out an electromagnetic shield that blocks incoming fire and grenades.
  • Ability 2: Blitz Shield — Grants you a protective tactical shield for melee bashes.
  • Ultra: Aegis — Surrounds you with a plasma shield and grants you a close-quarters scattergun.
Billy Givens
Billy Givens is a freelance writer with over a decade of experience writing gaming, film, and tech content. He started as a…
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