Xdefiant mixes Splinter Cell, The Division and Ghost Recon

Ubisoft premiere Tom Clancy’s XDefiant

Ubisoft has just announced multiplayer shooter Tom Clancy's XDefiant, where “fast-paced firefights meet punk rock mosh pits” and you can sign up for early access now.

XDefiant looks like Ubisoft's answer to Call of Duty multiplayer, and the first round of testing begins on August 5th. The test will focus on the 6v6 arena mode for PC.

• Tom Clancy's XDefiant – Worldwide Reveal
• Tom Clancy’s XDefiant: Exclusive Developer Interview
• Four factions wih different roles, determining player abilities
• Registration is open

As a matter of faction: XDefiant features factions from all corners of the Tom Clancy universe: Splinter Cell's Echelon, Ghost Recon's Wolves and The Division's Cleaners and Outcasts. Each has unique abilities, gadgets and roles.

Over the rainbow: The Rainbow Six crew is a no-show, probably because they are still busy making holes in walls and abseiling head-first from roofs in Siege. Ubisoft has yet to announce a release date for XDefiant.

Which character was removed from the German and French releases of I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream?

a) Ted
b) Nimdok
c) Ellen
d) Benny

The answer will be revealed at the bottom of today's issue. Join up with our community on Twitter and Facebook to discuss what the answer could be.

Pokémon Go Fest 2021 is finally here

Niantic CEO John Hanke just kicked off Pokémon Go Fest 2021 in a video message, and the studio just released a fifth-anniversary podcast as well.

You can also watch an artist from Niantic demonstrate a Print At Home papercraft kit, and you can grab more of them from the Pokémon Go website. Finally, you can reminisce about your time in the Sinnoh region while waiting for Pokémon Legends: Arceus.

Pokémon GO

• 5 star Raids: Legendary Psychic-type Mewtwo available until July 23rd
  • Mewtwo raid battle tips from Niantic

Pokémon Masters EX

• Beachside Rivalry event July 14th – July 30th
  • Sync Pair Scout: Gloria & Inteleon and Marnie & Grimmsnarl
• Summer Superstars returns July 19th – August 2nd
  • Sync Pair Scout: Steven & Alolan Sandslash and Lyra & Jigglypuff

Pokémon Sword & Shield

• Water Paradise Online Competition ends with rankings listed

Steam Deck won’t have analogue drift

Valve just announced the Steam Deck, a handheld PC running SteamOS delivering 720p gameplay on the go.

One of the big design considerations was ensuring the analogue sticks avoid so-called drift, an issue which has Microsoft, Nintendo as well as Sony dealing with several class-action lawsuits.

Reliability: “We’ve done a ton of testing on reliability, on all fronts really – and all inputs and different environmental factors and all that kind of stuff,” Valve hardware engineer Yazan Aldehayyat told IGN.

Drift fix: If you struggle with Joy-Con drift, you could try a simple solution: Insert a piece of 1mm thick card into the controller, which will help the stick hit the contact point.

Pull off crazy stunts with Crash Drive 3

Grab the wheel and immerse yourself in ridiculous fun in Crash Drive 3, a free-roaming cross-platform online racing extravaganza featuring tank battles, beach ball smashing, and more. Enter here and share DailyBits with friends and family for a chance to win a Steam code!

• TennoCon 2021 reveals cross-platform features for Warframe including cross-play and cross-save currently in development
• EA has teased that Skate 4 will be open-world and it's likely to be set in the future, but it's “not ready for prime time just yet”
• Former Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aimé is writing a book called Disrupting the Game which goes on sale in May next year
• XCOM Legends turn-based tactical ‘squad RPG’ out on mobile as early access title with a story campaign
• Switch OLED doesn't increase Nintendo's profit margins and there are“no plans” to launch more models at this time

Which character was removed from the German and French releases of I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream?

ANSWER: Nimdok!

Most point-and-click adventure games are quirky, humorous affairs – but not I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream. Written by science-fiction author Harlan Ellison, it is a profoundly depressing story about the last five humans on Earth and their torment at the hands of a malevolent AI. It’s pretty rough going, and Nimdok’s chapter was simply snipped in the German and French releases.

The chapter takes place in a concentration camp, where you uncover Nimdok’s terrible secret: He worked under the Nazi scientist Dr. Mengele, and sold out his own parents to the Nazis. This was a bit too much for German and French rating agencies, so the section was cut. As a result, the German and French versions of the game can not be completed!

Today's issue of DailyBits was written by Gavin Herman, Nick Akerman, Erlend Grefsrud, Simon Priest, and Jamie Davey. If you have any feedback or news tips for the team, please email us!