ARENA
Arena is a really cool looking map and serves as the "shipment" Xdefiant. A small fast paced map for those that like to get into the fight instantly. For a small map it has really good relief spawns in the back and side hallways. However spawn trapping can definitely still be a problem at times but that's just an inevitable problem you will run into on any small map. And those that enjoy these types of maps will gladly accept it for being able to get into the fight quick. The top middle area is weird and hard to challenge at times and if someone knows how to really hold down that area, they can be incredibly hard to take out. Overall cool map and I go back and fourth on how much I like it depending on the game. Now i’m not the biggest fan of the “tiny” maps that are essentially the fast food of first person shooters so for that reason Arena goes to the B tier.
ATTICA HEIGHTS
Right away this map is solid because it's the right size and plays really well for all game modes. I like that it has an interesting spot in the middle where you can jump through the hole to get to the bottom floor. It can be a little annoying trying to capture the point in occupy and the b flag on domination in the center of the map but it makes a lot of sense for this game because it requires teamwork and using all the character abilities to successfully hold the point against a team that’s good. The only issue I really have is when a sniper just camps out on the bridge looking at the b flag and just picks people off. I feel like the opening above is more than enough challenge for that part of the map. Overall a really well made map with a good theme to. One thing I try to do a lot in games is look around outside of the map and appreciate all the work the art team puts into painting a cohesive picture. Obviously this is a little harder in Xdefiant because at this time we don’t have private matches yet, but when we do I can't wait to explore around Attica Heights.
DUMBO
I like this map but the center is full of chaos and honestly you don’t want to get caught in the middle by yourself because there’s 4 ways into the center as well as a second floor balcony looking over the crate in the middle. So if you're a solo player you either have to find a random teammate and attach yourself at the hip and hope they cover you or play around the edges of the map until you can find an opening to dip your toe in. But you don’t really want to stick around the center too long unless you’re fighting for the objective. I will say one thing this map does really well is give you the option to hold longer sight lines and catch people trying to run a flank route as well as create spaces on the map where you can really get isolated gunfights and make it back to cover. The one issue I have with this map is that the spawns get a little bit weird on domination and don’t flip when they maybe should. Which is a common issue on a few other maps and that can feel frustrating because if you go up against a good team it can be really oppressive and you can’t really get out of the spawn. I’m gonna put this map in the A tier list because it plays so well in all game modes but I think it’s just missing that little something extra to make it into the S tier category.
ECHELON
This is a map that initially I didn’t care for. But as I started to learn the map it really grew on me. And because of the close quarters nature of this map it kind of forces you to play with SMGs and shotguns. Now I have seen some psychopaths running around with snipers but for the most part the engagements you get into on this map are up close and personal. I think this map does the “small fast paced” style map better than arena. I’ve really come to like this map and it feels kind of like a maze with lots of different routes you can take and if you’re smart, you can jump in pick off an enemy, reposition, pick off another enemy and always keep them guessing. I think this is one of, if not, my favorite map to play hot shot on because even though you’re marked on the map as hot shot there are plenty of ways to break line of sight instead of just getting picked off down an open lane or someone camping the high ground with a sniper. Which is a perfect segway into the next map
EMPORIUM
If you were wondering which map I almost back out of immediately, it's this one. While the map aesthetically is really cool and the art team did a great job, in fact this almost feels like a map from black ops cold war, it’s almost impossible to push up to the second floor if the enemy team is locking it down. They don’t even have to be good. They have high ground that can almost see into both spawns as well as plenty of cover and relief if they need to step back to heal or reload. Maybe this is a skill issue so please let me know if i’m crazy or if you’ve found a way to break the impenetrable fortress of the second floor. I also think there’s a little bit of asymmetry in the map when it comes to what side you spawn on. If you spawn in the outside area it feels like it’s much closer to the second floor area. So whichever team spawns outside gets an immediate advantage, or so it seems. I can’t wait until we get private matches so I can test these things a little more in depth so again this has just been my experience. Now that being said this map isn’t completely garbage like some of the maps in other games so it still gets to go in the d category.
LIBERTY
This was one of my favorite maps from the first time I played it way back in the beta last year and feels like an instant classic. Not to big, not too small but has the right amount of variety. With good sight lines, good cover to play off and overall a really well balanced map. I think this will play really well competitively. Technically it’s a pretty straightforward 3 lane map but the way they’ve managed to structure the objectives, lanes and pieces of cover breaks it up in a really fun way. My only gripe with this map is, for a lack of a better term, the sniper perch on the C side spawn. I’m not the biggest fan of “designated camping spots” but it does have an equal and opposite position on the boat in the center of the map and you can also flank enemies and take them out from behind relatively easily. I also just really like the art style and design of the map. One of my favorite things ever in game design is when video games barrow from real life. I like the head fallen from the statue of liberty, the new York skyline in the background. It gives the map so much more personality and character rather than just a generic facility. So this map earns a spot in the S tier category. I can’t wait to get access to private matches to jump into and explore maps like this. Maybe my expectations are high but I have a sneaking suspicion that we might even find some Easter eggs in these maps. Now I didn’t play any of the Ubisoft games that Xdefiant pulls from so I will definitely be on the lookout for videos explaining any references in the maps.
MAYDAY
Thematically a great map with Air force one crashed through the middle of the map. Like I said before I'm a sucker for games that borrow from real life so this is really cool. It does have some major design flaws where the b flag is almost unapproachable and the plane wing is a snipers wet dream. The only real counter to snipers camping on the plane wing is a small tower but it’s only on one side of the map. I think it could maybe be improved if they just removed the cover from the plane wing so you could at least challenge people sitting up there. It’s almost impossible because you have to cross the wide open to get to the interior of the plane. For those reasons it’s not a great domination map but hot shot and occupy tend to play a little better because there's no incentive to camping the plane. For those reasons mayday goes to the C tier
SHOWTIME
Very solid and fun map, in fact I would say it's one of the best in the game. It strikes a perfect balance between when it comes to map size as well as having a very interesting and colorful art style. There's no doubt where you're at in the map at any given time. This also has the added benefit of being able to make really good and useful callouts to your teammates because the sections of the map are so clearly defined. Now it does have some issues at time with the second floor areas being difficult to challenge at times. It gives players the ability to snipe across the entire map as well as camp your spawn and shoot you in the back. Now camping the spawn is fine and I’m all for checking your corners but having to walk out of your spawn and do a 360 every time is a bit silly.
NUDLEPLEX
Easily one of the best designed maps in the game from an aesthetic perspective. Nudleplex is bright, colorful and very clean to look at. You'll never have issues with enemies blending in or being hard to see. The map is clearly inspired by the google campus and like I said previously I do enjoy when game designs take inspirations from real life. Overall it's a really well balanced and straight forward map with a traditional 3 lane design. So arcade shooter fans should feel right at home here. Each section of the map is contained and so you’re really able to isolate your gunfights and not get shot across the map by other players. Again this is one of those maps that plays really well in all game modes.
Pueblito
I really like this map because it manages to balance everything really well. It’s the right size, has just enough flank routes and the right amount of space with pieces of cover to play off of in all the right spots. Each part of the map feels like it’s own section so you’re not getting cross mapped by someone with a sniper. One thing I find myself doing when loading into a match is picking a weapon type that best fits the map style. Mayday for long range weapons, echelon for SMGs and shotguns, Assault Rifles play really well on liberty. But on Pueblito you can kind of use whatever you want. Every weapon type is viable if you know how to position yourself and play accordingly. And yes that is technically true of all maps but Pueblito does it exceptionally well. I never find myself switching to a different weapon type in the middle of the game to be more competitive. Some of the maps we’ve talked about already play better for certain game modes but this is another map that just plays so well on all game modes. And for that reason it has to go into the S tier category.
MIDWAY
This map is extremely colorful and a really interesting setting taking place in a theme park. Overall a really well balanced and straight forward map. The very middle of the map or the C objective is a very difficult chokepoint to get through and if you’re attacking it can feel very punishing to try and push through this area. If you’re defending it kind of feels like shooting fish in a barrel and there's really not a whole lot of cover. If either you or the enemy team knows what they’re doing, that center point of the map is going to be the stopping point in most of your matches or at the very least going to take the most time. But besides the map has a good amount of cover and angles to take or defend objectives. This map overall really allows the character abilities to stand. For some reason I feel like your team comp matters more on these bigger progression style maps. Yes, leveraging your faction abilities is obviously a big part of multiplayer but I think these bigger maps and modes were designed with competitive balance in mind and using the right team comp for attacking and defending can 100 percent make or break your game. Let me know if you guys are interested in me doing a full break down video of strategies for these maps and modes.
TIMES SQUARE
Thematically an amazing map and it’s almost really well designed. From an art perspective the maps looks great however, I may get some heat for this, but Times Square plays like the Picadilly of Xdefiant. If you don’t get that reference I envy you. Too many nooks and crannies for people to hide in. I like the way the map is laid out and all the different rooms and lanes it offers but there is many pieces of cover and it’s so busy that often you’ll find yourself getting shot from the side or back even after checking your corners. Which is why this map is infested with snipers hard scoping every single lane. This map is a snipers paradise, tons of long site lines and windows to camp with plenty of wide open spaces to catch enemies in. The spawns also feel extremely far away, especially with the respawn delay on these maps. I do like this map but it can be extremely frustrating at times at for that reason it earns the C tier rank for now.
ZOO
This map I honestly don’t have a lot to say. In many ways it’s extremely similar to Midway that we already talked about. Very straightforward map where again the middle of the map is going to be a sticking point. I’m not sure if that’s by design or another happy accident. I like this map, nothing here really stands out as negative or unplayable so for me it earns a spot in the B tier
MELTDOWN
Meltdown is my favorite of the 4 progression maps because it has a lot more turns and bends as you progress through the map and each section caters to a different style of gameplay. The first area is much more wide open and snipers can really dominate here. But as you move through the other sections it’s starts to get pretty narrow and really forces you into some tight spots. This map also has the maps depth in terms of options to play on height. There's plenty of hallways and rooms up on the second floor but nothing that is crazy overpowered positionally because there’s always an equal and opposite high ground area for the other team to counter you. And that’s something I really like about most maps in the game. While they might not be perfectly symmetrical they’re often very balanced when it comes to power positions and available cover. I think meltdown should be the gold standard if they plan on introducing more progression maps in later seasons. I don’t mind the bigger maps and modes but I’d like something a little less straightforward that alllows for more gameplay variety like meltdown. So this map earns it’s spot in A tier.
BONUS: PRACTICE ZONE
I’m happy Xdefiant added a proper firing range that’s actually helpful. My favorite feature is the time to kill targets because I can tangibly see how each weapon performs across various ranges as well as how different attachments affect your weapon. This has helped me a ton when comparing different weapons and trying out different builds. Compared to other games that shall not be named (cough cough) this is a much more feature rich firing range that is actually useful. For now this is going in the B tier category because I think it could use a few more features before we reach A or S tier. First off we need to have the factions zone open to play around with the different character abilities. So hopefully that’s coming in the future. Second of all I think all of the attachments should be available for practice and testing while in the firing range. It’s not the biggest issue but it would be a nice touch. Lastly, if they want to make the firing range truly S tier it needs couple things added to it. I’d like to be able to queue into the practice zone with a friend and what would truly make it s tier is having a 1v1 zone similar to the range in apex legends.
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