While XDefiant is still awaiting its full release, the Open Session has given ample opportunity for players to experiment with different weapon combinations and loadouts. One of the most universal and usable weapon types in the game is the Assault Rifle, of which there are four to choose from. While they’re all effective in their own ways, they are certainly not all made equal.
To maintain a balanced playing field during my testing, I focused my attachments for all of the assault rifles towards accuracy and mobility with the Compensator, Pistol Grip, 3X Optics and Fast Mag, just because I don’t like to reload. I did bounce between different factions though, it didn’t change the way the guns worked during gameplay.
Ranking the Best Assault Rifles in XDefiant
4. M4A1
The default weapon for the game’s loadouts, the M4A1 is a gun that you might get killed by often. However, while it’s going to be one of the most common names to see on your Kill Cam, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the best gun for you to choose.
The M4A1 is a useful gun to use if you’re still getting used to the game and the gunplay because it’s steady and consistent, but it lacks in damage when directly paired up against some of the other assault rifles like the AK-47 or ACR 6.8. If you can keep your aim trained on headshots, you’ll have a lot more luck than if you aim low or go for a wide spread, but you’ve got to be at that certain sweet spot for distance.
The M4A1 is a middle of the road AR, with a decent rate of fire and an average range, so it’s best for getting the drop on enemies from only a little ways away. Too close and it’ll start to spray wildly, but too far and you’ll land only a few of your shots. Like a lot of games, the M4A1 plays like a true Goldilocks gun, making it accessible for a lot of people to play with, but there’s plenty of room for improvement.
3. M16A4
The M16A4 is the token three-round burst assault rifle that every FPS needs to have. It’s great for nailing headshots across a hallway, but once people start getting farther away, it can be harder to connect all three rounds in the burst. The shots aren’t incredibly useful for dealing damage to the body, so consider the M16A4 to be the marksman’s assault rifle.
The M16A4 and M4A1 are perfect opportunities to experiment and play with some of the different combinations of attachments for the guns. I played with a focus on accuracy, but you can tune your gun based on damage, mobility or whatever works for your style. I certainly found that trying to use the M16A4 in close quarters led to more respawns than points, but I really started finding a groove if I could keep my distance and hone my aim.
2. ACR 6.8
The former holder of my number one spot, the ACR 6.8 is a great gun if you know how to use it. It definitely packs a punch, but you realize how slow it actually fires when you go head-to-head with an M4A1. Luckily, it doesn’t take as many shots to take someone down, especially if you hit them in the head.
The ACR 6.8 is a good choice for mid-range combat, but it really starts to shine when you’ve got some extra breathing room between you and your target. If you’re targeting someone holding another AR or an SMG, you’d better hope you’re far enough away because the ACR’s rate of fire can’t compete, but you’ll hit more of your shots with it. Once you get used to it and really start getting comfortable, the accuracy of the ACR 6.8 is going to become a real asset to your gameplay.
1. AK-47
After previously underestimating it, I found the AK-47 to be the best out of the assault rifles in XDefiant. It packs a punch with a controllable rate of fire and predictable recoil, and it can hold its own at medium-to-long range. Even when I wasn’t using it, I would find myself being brutally outmatched in a 1v1 gunfight, only to see on the Kill Cam that I was killed by nothing other than an AK-47.
While it does kick up on you after every shot, the AK-47 fires just slowly enough where you can readjust your aim between shots, but just fast enough where you can hold your own against even an SMG. If you tend to aim low, you might find the recoil on the AK-47 to be just what you need to kick your shots up towards the head and start getting more kills.
That’s it for the ranked list of assault rifles in XDefiant, as of the Open Session. This doesn’t even begin to get into the other weapon classes like LMGs, SMGs or shotguns, so there’s going to be plenty more to dive into in the future. This list will almost certainly be tested upon the full launch of the game in summer 2023 as we find out what changes may come, so be sure to check back for more XDefiant features and guides.
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