What Game Modes and Weapons Does Xonotic Offer?

Updated

Xonotic ships with 9 core weapons and 16 full weapons in its armory, each with a primary fire and a UT-like secondary fire, plus a mode list that runs from standard arena staples (Deathmatch/FFA, Capture The Flag, Clan Arena) to unusual picks like Nexball, Freeze Tag, and Multiplayer Race. It also includes 25 official maps, with community-made and classic Nexuiz maps available. All of this is free to play and modify under the GPLv3+ license.

Weapons: 9 core, 16 full, two fire modes each

The armory is built so that no single weapon covers every situation. Every weapon has a primary fire and a secondary fire, and the official description stresses that "weapon choice is critical" — meaning the mode and map shape which guns matter most.

Detail What the site states
Core weapons 9
Full weapons 16
Fire modes Primary + UT-like secondary on each
Design intent Each weapon is useful in particular situations

The practical takeaway: expect to cycle weapons rather than main one. The secondary fire is where a lot of the tactical variety lives, so learning both modes per weapon matters more than raw aim alone.

Game modes

Xonotic's mode list is community-driven and deliberately broad. It splits roughly into standard arena modes and experimental ones.

Standard arena modes

  • Deathmatch (FFA) — free-for-all.
  • Capture The Flag — team objective play.
  • Clan Arena — team elimination-style competition.

Unconventional modes

  • Nexball — a whacky, non-standard mode.
  • Freeze Tag — another non-traditional variant.
  • Multiplayer Race — supported as well.

If you are coming from Quake or Unreal Tournament, the standard three will feel immediately familiar; Nexball and Freeze Tag are the ones worth trying when you want something the classic shooters don't offer.

Maps

  • 25 official maps ship ready to play.
  • Community-made maps are "just a click away."
  • Classic Nexuiz maps are supported, including versions converted from Quake 3.
  • A map editor ships with the game for players who want to build their own.

What this means for choosing Xonotic

  • If you want a familiar competitive arena shooter: the standard modes plus the anticheat system, spectator mode, and game recording/spectating support cover that.
  • If you want variety: Nexball, Freeze Tag, and Multiplayer Race are the differentiators.
  • If you care about tracking progress: XonStat is integrated and opt-in with no login required, covering kill:death ratio, weapon damage, accuracy, and recent games.
  • If you like tuning your setup: the HUD editor lets you keep defaults, add widgets, or go minimalist, and configs and servers are fully customizable.

One condition to note: the free-to-play and free-to-modify status is stated under the copyleft GPLv3+ license, and downloads are offered for Linux, Windows, and macOS with no installation needed.