XDefiant director details hitreg, netcode fixes in latest update

It's been one of the game's biggest issues for a while.

XDefiant character escorting a payload.
Image via Ubisoft

XDefiant’s latest patch went live yesterday morning, targeting issues like jump-spamming. But it also tackled one of the game’s bigger problems: netcode.

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Game director and executive producer Mark Rubin posted a bit of an explanation on Twitter/X today, detailing what players should expect from the update that aimed to fix one of the main player complaints in the game—and it still sounds like a work in progress.

An enemy trooper crouches and shoots at an opponent, holding a shield to protect them, in a market in XDefiant.
How does the game feel now? Image via Ubisoft

“We made some changes in this patch,” Rubin said of XDefiant‘s netcode. “Very technical detailed changes to help reduce the chance of getting hitreg or netcode issues. And we are seeing in our data decent improvements in the telemetry that we have.”

Rubin warned that the update “doesn’t mean the problem is fixed or that you won’t see this issue ever but it should be reduced,” asking for feedback on how the game feels moving forward, like if the netcode improved or got worse.

Rubin explained a bit about “hitreg” and netcode, defining hitreg (or hit registration) as “I am shooting at a player and getting hit markers but their health isn’t moving and I’ve definitely hit them enough to kill them.”

Netcode, meanwhile, means “I am dying around corners and I am for sure not dying because of fire damage or wallbanging (i.e. getting shot through a wall that is meant to be penetrable).” XDefiant players have been experiencing both since the game’s beta tests.

Yesterday’s update aimed to fix a number of launch issues ahead of the game’s first season, which will add new weapons, new modes, and a new faction inspired by Rainbow Six and its characters called GSK.

The new update is live now on all platforms, and XDefiant’s season one is set to begin in just a few weeks on July 2.

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Scott Duwe
Senior Staff Writer & Call of Duty lead. Professional writer for over 10 years. Lover of all things Marvel, Destiny 2, Metal Gear, Final Fantasy, Resident Evil, and more. Previous bylines include PC Gamer, Red Bull Esports, Fanbyte, and Esports Nation. DogDad to corgis Yogi and Mickey, sports fan (NY Yankees, NY Jets, NY Rangers, NY Knicks), Paramore fanatic, cardio enthusiast.