The closed beta of Ubisoft's upcoming FPS "XDefiant" managed to attract more viewers than "Warzone 2" on Twitch last week.

XDefiant was re-launched this year with the Clancy brand name removed. While the utterly radical Ubi taste of this 6v6 shooter could not be more appealing, the most vocal cry around "Modern Warfare 2" and "Warzone 2" right now is that "Call of Duty" has lost its way, that it has become too casual XDefiant has captured that moment. Some in this beta have endorsed XDefiant (open in new tab) as the return of the early 2010s-style Call of Duty that streamers and esports players have been waiting for.

XDefiant is fast, and players have quickly embraced the erratic movement techniques that Call of Duty has somewhat neglected; although its omission in Modern Warfare 2 was controversial, the minimap displays red dots indicating the location of gunfire. Also, hidden MMR adjusts team balance, but casual matches do not involve skill-based matchmaking; if there is one thing that FPS players complain about on Reddit, it is SBMM.

Ubisoft is playing to the crowd here: last October, Ubisoft tweeted, "No SBMM for #Casual" (open in new tab). Mark Rubin, executive producer of XDefiant, which produced the first "Modern Warfare" and "Modern Warfare 2," also scores points on social media (opens in new tab) for his communication skills. [XDefiant includes special abilities (much like those in CoDs) and comprehensive gun customization with 15 data points (none more excessive than the current Call of Dutys gunsmith customizer). Also, unlike the spin-off Warzone, these modes are bundled with each year's campaign and are now a $70 package, so they are free-to-play, something that Call of Duty's 6vs6 is not.

Former Call of Duty creative strategist Robert Bowling called XDefiant a "refinement" of the original Modern Warfare-era Call of Duty.

"COD made a choice to move away from its roots and origins. XDefiant knows what it is and does it well."

Many others have praised XDefiant (open in new tab), especially for its moves, but many have also ridiculed it (open in new tab):

Just because the discourse is widespread that "Call of Duty is dead, It doesn't mean it's unpopular: Modern Warfare 2 is the sixth most played game on Steam right now. (Opens in a new tab) Maybe it's just that it's only popular with people like me: older, fond of fiddling with silly laser attachments, and not interested in playing against people with special names for their movement techniques. There are plenty of us.

I enjoyed briefly checking out XDefiant today, but if I want to do as well in modern CoD, I may have to start drinking 20 ounces of Red Bull again, like in the 2000s. Morgan also checked it out and said he thinks it has potential, but wonders if it will shine bright enough to become a phenomenon. Other new competitive shooters are struggling to catch on, like Diabotical as a lesser-known example. Ubisoft, at least, has a track record of games like Rainbow Six Siege and For Honor that have struggled to keep up.

You can still register and try out the XDefiant beta at the official site (opens in new tab). The duration is until April 23.