Defiance is an MMO third-person shooter set in a persistent universe. It was made as a tie-in to the US SyFy television series of the same name. The game takes place several decades into the future in the San Francisco Bay Area, following a war between humans and aliens known as the Votans. Due to their planet being destroyed, The Votans arrived on Earth hoping to find a new home where they could set up a civilization. Humans and Votans clashed, unleashing alien power that changed the Earth's surface dramatically. Old species and plants became extinct, while new species emerged. The player plays as an "Ark Hunter" hired by a wealthy industrialist to search for hidden alien power.
The gameplay in Defiance features advanced character customization. Players can customize everything from their clothes to facial hair styles. They also have the option to play as a Human or an Irathient, a humanoid alien species similar to humans. There is no strict class system, and instead players choose from one of four origins: veterans, outlaws, machinists, and survivalists. Origins serve as a starting point and background for the character, without affecting abilities or outfits. The game's key feature is its Arkfall Events, which are dynamic events that bring humans, aliens, and monsters together to obtain expensive alien technology.
Defiance was released on the Xbox 360 console in 2013 for PC gamers, a third-person shooter genre game.