point blank shooting in xdefiant
Image via Ubisoft

Best ways to get more point-blank kills in XDefiant

Up close and personal.

In XDefiant, factions from across the Ubisoft Tom Clancy universe go head to head in various game modes, from a traditional team deathmatch to an escort mission. The game’s progression doesn’t feel like it provides the best rewards, but its challenges go some way to make up for that.

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XDefiant‘s challenges task you with completing all sorts of feats. Many are linked to the game’s factions, using their abilities, both passive and active, to unlock new classes. It’s the weapons I’m most concerned with here though, because the game loves to throw incredibly specific kill types at you. One of the toughest to pull off is point-blank kills. However, you’ll fly through those challenges once you know how to maximize your chances of getting them.

How to maximize point-blank kills in XDefiant

point blank kill award in xdefiant
Screenshot by Destructoid

The best way to maximize point-blank kills in XDefiant is to go into every match, regardless of game mode, using your secondary weapon. These are only effective at close range, and whipping them out every time you respawn will encourage you to wait until you’re a few feet away from enemies before putting them down.

This is how close you need to be to an enemy to get a point-blank kill. The kill won’t count if you’re too far away. Of course, you can get a point-blank kill with any weapon. I just think secondary weapons encourage you to get more in a single match. Using a shotgun as your primary may also help you engage in more close-range fights, as it’s not effective at long range.

hunting enemy in xdefiant
Screenshot by Destructoid

Stealth is your friend

Another great way to help you get more point-blank kills is by hunting down enemies and sneaking up on them. This is surprisingly easy in certain game modes, such as Zone Control. When you see an enemy running, try to get behind them and rush after them. More often than not, they’ll slow down before you, giving you a chance to catch up and fill them with bullets for an easy point-blank kill.

I’ve been able to use side paths in Escort to make this work, too. If enemies are all rushing one path to take out your team, look for a path they’re not watching. Usually, you’ll find that you can get down this path and up close to an enemy for an easy point-blank kill. In Escort, you can often pick up two or three of these kills at once when enemies bunch up around objectives. Using the Echelon faction is also helpful, as you can locate enemies through walls with Sonar Goggles or turn invisible with the Digital Ghillie Suit for that extra Splinter Cell stealth.

The key to getting more point-blank kills in XDefiant is to think about what you’d be doing in your enemy’s shoes and work around that. If you’re rushing an objective, think about where you’re going and find a corner from which you can catch unsuspecting enemies. If you’d be holding a specific point, find a way to get to that point and ambush enemies from behind. The beauty of this game is that you get to play both sides regularly, so it’s easy to hunt your foes using tactics that have been employed on you.


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Author
Image of Jamie Moorcroft-Sharp
Jamie Moorcroft-Sharp
Jamie is a Staff Writer on Destructoid who has been playing video games for the better part of the last three decades. He adores indie titles with unique and interesting mechanics and stories, but is also a sucker for big name franchises, especially if they happen to lean into the horror genre.