As a huge fan of the FPS genre, I was delighted to see one of my most anticipated titles, The Defiant at gamescom ONL this evening. The WWII shooter which is based in China during the Japanese occupation will tell much lesser-known stories of war and sacrifice, many which will be untold to Western audiences.
The singleplayer shooter (though, there is a multiplayer mode in testing) looked very promising in a recent gameplay trailer but it was clear there are some rough edges that are to be worked on ahead of development. Clearly inspired by Battlefield 5 (and 1, though, a different World War), the gameplay and action could pass for a new entry in the juggernaut franchise.
The new gamescom trailer shows a battle taking place at the Futuyu Great Wall. A little history research this evening has led me to a real photo from the War at this very location. You can clearly see the inspiration from real photography with the defensive gun placements:
From all the footage revealed of the title yet, this tale of the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army will tell a deep, emotional brothers in arms war story. It is one to watch for fans of WWII games, or the shooter genre.
The Defiant is currently in development for XBOX Series, PlayStation 5 and PC (Steam). No release window is currently provided by the developer.
What’s your thoughts on WWII shooter, The Defiant? What other games from gamescom 2026 ONL are on your playlist? Come and join the active and friendly Gamer Social Club Discord to chat about all your other favourite indie games.
