A treasure trove of new content is coming to XCOM 2 this fall, lead designer Jake Solomon confirmed at the PC Gaming Show, and every aspect of Firaxis’ beloved strategy game will expand when XCOM 2: War of the Chosen heads to PC and consoles this fall.
There will be new faces on both sides of the fight when the next XCOM 2 expansion arrives. War of the Chosen introduces a new trio of alien leaders, the Chosen, each of whom has risen through the ranks of the opposition by slaughtering any human who dares stand in the way of their masters. Each new alien foe will have their own strengths and weaknesses, like the honor-bound Assassin, who relies on a combination of stealth and brutal close-quarters combat to make quick work of XCOM recruits. But the alien army isn’t the only one that will see powerful new champions join its ranks when XCOM 2: War of the Chosen debuts.
Three new friendly factions will also be introduced to players when the next XCOM 2 expansion arrives. We don’t have many details on the underground resistance groups, each of which will contribute a powerful new soldier to XCOM once they’ve been wooed by the player. But an early look at one unit, the stealth marksman known as the Reaper, suggests players will have their own subtle ways to strike back at the the bolstered alien army. Solomon also confirmed XCOM 2 will give players a chance to recruit defectors from the alien army and a new class of Templars, fighters who rely on powerful channeling spells to take out their foes. And they’ve all survived more than 20 years of brutal alien oppression. So it’s safe to say your new allies have been battle-tested pretty extensively before joining XCOM.
And that’s not all. XCOM 2: War of the Chosen will include new environments, customization items for your soldiers, weapons… and zombies. We’re still not 100 percent clear on how the zombie-esque Lost will factor in the next chapter of XCOM’s story. But we’re excited to see how much more content Firaxis can cram into XCOM 2 when War of the Chosen -- which the studio says is twice the size of previous XCOM expansions -- debuts this fall.
For an early look at XCOM 2: War of the Chosen , take a few minutes to watch the gameplay trailer that debuted during the PC Gaming Show. Then head down to the comments section and let us know what you’re hoping to see in the next big XCOM 2 expansion.
XCOM 2: War Of The Chosen is in development for PC and consoles. The strategy game’s next expansion debuts Aug. 29.
Be sure to check back with Player.One and follow Scott on Twitter for more XCOM 2: War Of The Chosen coverage in 2017 and however long Firaxis supports XCOM 2 in the years ahead.
