The Finals New Update Has Competition With X-defiant Playtest
Everyone, thoron, here we're going to take a break from Hell Divers 2 today to talk about the finals, as there are going to be some updates coming to the game and some changes, but along with that, there's a brand new X Defiant play test coming this week as well, which is going to give the final some competition, at least in the first-person shooter realm, so we're going to go over everything that's involving those two.
Without further ado, let's jump into today's topic. The finals were an absolute juggernaut at the end of 2023 and early in 2024. However, with season 2 and the thunderous approach of X Defant, a competitor in the FPS market, which is gearing up for server tests and play tests on April 19th, yes, that is correct.
In just a few days, there has been a murmur of a changing landscape in the, you know, marketplace. They are becoming a stark reality, and we're going to need to talk about some of the major changes that need to happen in the finals update today to allow it to compete with X Defiance so it does not get overshadowed in the future.
One particular issue right now is the ability of Spectators to trigger minds while soaring around the map; this was actually highlighted by users; W is better than MW, which I think is absolutely a hilarious username; and this transcends a mere bug and transforms into a competitive nightmare. How are you supposed to play ranked when people are just blowing up minds or even enjoying pubs when this is such a stark issue?
Imagine the heart-stopping intensity of a tournament finale, the culmination of about an hour of strategic planning and owned reflexes, only to have all your meticulously placed traps detonated by a mischievous spectator, with nothing at stake. This not only really taints the victor's triumph but also leaves the victim feeling cheated and utterly demoralized.
Which isn't helped by the fact that right now the finals are being plagued by a crap ton of cheaters, and we haven't really heard anything about what the developers are going to do to take care of this problem. However, a glimmer of hope does appear in the form of a response from Yoyo, a moderator, acknowledging the issue and assuring players by fixing the upcoming update on the official Discord.
However, a shroud of D lingers: how long has this bug actually been playing the game? We don't know 100% for sure, and the tournament's actually been ruined by this issue, not to mention issue number two, which is ranking, and that has to do with the contentious point of the recently introduced ranked indicator, displayed at the conclusion of tournaments.
Originally, we had a pretty good one in season one. I thought it let you know exactly how much you had moved up to the next spot. Then, in season 2, they completely removed it, and now we have this new one, and players like intrigued dossier find it utterly useless, offering no real concrete feedback for what you need to do to move up in competitive games.
This is just my opinion, but it is something that I've known throughout my drive on well-defined. Ranking systems, which beckon players to own their skills and ascend to the covered top spots and also give you feedback on what you're doing right and wrong by just giving us an arrow going up, whether it be one, two, or three, don't truly let us know how much progress we actually made in a match because, well, there's just no metric or benchmark.
Honestly, the dev team over at Embark should just go ahead and bring back the season one system that we had. It may not fit exactly what their ideals were, but it was just such an easy and convenient way, and really, after each match, it gave you a lot of incentive to continue grinding rank because you knew how far away you were from the next rank right now.
It's just a guessing game, which is probably the worst thing, and this actually has nothing to do with the development of the finals. But there's apparently an alleged suppression of criticism. On the game on the subreddit for its users. Difficult Deer actually raised a disturbing concern that the moderation team potentially removed posts that pointed out flaws in the finals, and this, like I said, has nothing to do with the death team, but a key factor in a healthy game thrives on open communication, where players can voice their frustrations and offer constructive criticism, strifling these voices.
Really discourages H's feedback, a crucial element that Embark themselves have been so good at listening to. Players on the mod team should not be removing posts; leave them up unless they are actually harmful or attacking. Let the criticism fly because it's the only way that this game is going to see improvements, but of course we've got the looming thread of X Defiant, which is entering the arena.
Their server test is scheduled for April 19th, days from the release of this article, and while the finals boast a dedicated player base, the lure of a new contender cannot be disregarded. Especially one that had so much hype in the past, the development team needs to acknowledge player frustrations at the finals, prioritize those critical bug fixes like the spectator mind issue, and implement a more meaningful ranking system; otherwise, the finals could actually be in serious danger.
If you are interested in the ex-defiant play test, there are a couple of free rewards you'll be able to earn and a weapon XP booster. By completing the challenges to earn the rewards, you will have these items available to use on day one of the launch. There's the MP5 Shamrock weapon skin, the M9 Ember weapon skin, and, of course, a weapon XP booster three times over.
You can also play Test XDE on PS5, Xbox, or PC by downloading the X Defiant Server Test Session. The icon is a giant X, and the play test starts on April 19th at 10 a.m. Pacific time and ends on April 21st at 10 a.m. Also, don't forget to check out these articles right here, where I cover Hell Divers X Defant, the Finals Power World, and so much more.
Until next time, everyone. Thanks for stopping by.
