Info (XCOM2)

This page is to collect all the information related to Firaxis' upcoming XCOM 2 game, released through official channels and confirmed sources. XCOM 2 will be released in November 2015.

Storyline

• The new game takes place 20 years after Earth's surrender to the aliens during the invasion. According to Jake Solomon, XCOM lost the initial alien invasion and as Earth surrendered, XCOM went underground to continue the fighting³.
• According to XCOM 2' storyline, XCOM never made it out of conventional weapons before the surrender. To Firaxis, the first game has ended with the same result of the majority of games played on Impossible Ironman, with a loss for the player. According to official stats, only 1.1% of players have earned the achievement for winning on Impossible and 1.7% for completing Ironman. ¹⁰
• Of all the characters in Enemy Unknown, at least Bradford will reappear on XCOM 2 still in his role as 'Central'. ¹⁰
• The alien overlords have built megacities where war, poverty, crime and disease are supposedly eradicated, but which only serve as a cover for more sinister plans for humankind. Those cities have been built to attract the human population into them by offering gene therapy⁴.
  • The megacities are a nod to XCOM: Apocalypse⁴.
• XCOM HQ is now a captured Alien Supply Ship that has been converted as a mobile command center to waging a guerrilla style war against the aliens.
• The rest of humanity lives on the wilderness, where XCOM operates and there will also be missions there. Variety of combat environments.

Engine

• Wide mod support: you can create maps, new races, story lines and campaigns and share them via Steam Workshop.
• Game will be PC exclusive.
• XCOM 2 will run on a heavy modified version of the Unreal Engine 3.5 ⁶.

Soldiers

• The squad at the beginning of the game is not an elite force, but the player is in charge of a 'rag tag, freedom fighters, guerrilla fighters. They look like irregular troops.
• Soldiers appear to have 'Character Skills' (check Tactical picture)
• Customization now also applies to left/right arms, shoulders, etc., to reflect the rag tag nature of XCOM. Characters can also earn unique characterization features. Possible to change the gender/nationality of all human units.
• Squad sizes remain at 4-6 units.
• Carrying ability - when evacuating it is possible for soldiers to carry back to base the bodies of their injured or dead comrades⁴.
• All classes are capable of hacking, however only the Specialist can perform some hacks. Hacking includes devices, terminals, robotic aliens and possibly other targets.⁹.

Classes

• 5 classes - Ranger, Sharpshooter, Grenadier, Specialist (those are evolved versions of the original 4 classes), 5th still unrevealed
• Ranger - Assault version, carries sword, can engage on melee combat
  • Rangers carry either a Shotgun or Assault Rifle as primary weapons and a machete sword⁸.
  • They are either damage dealing assaults or scouts that can move quickly and silently and even climb walls⁸.
  • While advancing, they can be followed and buffed/protected by the Gremlin drone carried by the Specialist.⁸.
  • Reaper ability - every kill with a melee weapon allows for a further attack⁸.
  • Phantom ability - every kill allows another move⁸.
• Sharpshooter - Sniper, can specialize also in Pistol skills in alternative to the sniper rifle.
• Grenadier - Heavy equivalent, carries a rotary grenade launcher
• Specialist - carries a 'Gremlin' drone that can be used as a secondary weapon, for stunning aliens or buff allies, or for hacking. AKA Support class.
  • Specialist is either support (healing, support buffs, boosting stats) or offensive (hacking and controlling enemies)⁹.
  • Gremlin can carry a stun area effect weapon, heal, scout or even be assigned to protect a Ranger⁴.
    • Can be upgraded to carry the stun area effect weapon or to hack a terminal ⁹.
  • Gremlin doesn't move on its own - the Specialist needs to spend its action move for a turn to guide it.
  • Specialists can get the Intrusion Protocol ability at later ranks, which allows it to hack and control robotic enemies.⁹
  • Specialist class can improve its hacking skills faster than others⁹.

Combat System

• At the start of mission the player will have to move its units without being detected to their objectives. A lot of different elements can break concealment, not just enemies but civilians as well. Scanners can also break concealment⁴.
  • Every XCOM unit starts the mission in concealment.⁸.
• XCOM now always has the first shot (aliens don't scatter for cover when activated) due to more emphasis on stealth and soldier placement before the shooting starts.
• Aliens will react differently when XCOM reveals its presence: some may still scatter or be completely surprised.⁴.
• New concealment system that uses waypoints to move and set up soldiers.
• Loot system - timers to recover items carried by dead aliens or even your own fallen soldiers (similar to Meld on EW). Inventory plays a bigger role since XCOM is also living off loot and scavenging.
• Weapon upgrades - variety of those⁴.
• Secondary mission objectives that can be completed instead of the primary one.
• Call for EVAC can be done anywhere on the map on most mission types, as long as there is space for the Skyranger to land. There's still a danger of getting stopped by enemies when trying to reach the area designated for evacuation⁴.

Maps

• Procedure generated maps. Large set of tiles (buildings, etc.) which are combined together to create maps. AI also made more procedural to better use the new map system. Terrain will be more dynamic and destructible, including exploding barrels and acid holes. Even floors and ceilings are destructable⁴.
• Free Aim (being able to target any feature, including terrain) will still be limited to weapons such grenades and rockets.⁷
• According to Lead Producer Garth DeAngelis, each map is a 'quilt' with holes where buildings are plugged, and the space between the buildings can be occupied with elements to display a variety of environments. ⁵.
• The space can be occupied by a variety of elements, and there are about 20 'diorama' sets that can be used when designing maps.

Aliens/Enemies

• The aliens have evolved significantly over 20 years and are much stronger; XCOM soldiers will not be able to take on aliens alone early on⁴.
• Both new and old aliens are present.
• There are yet undisclosed robotic aliens⁹.
• Advent Troopers - human soldiers which act as city security on behalf of the aliens.
  • Advent Captains, clad in red armor, are stronger variants which buff standard Troopers.
  • Magnetic weapons⁴.
• Sectoids - Have now modified themselves using human DNA, making them far more deadly.
  • Still carries the wrist plasma blaster¹¹.
  • Has an ability called Psi Spin, where the target is either mind controlled, or gets confused/disoriented. Has another ability called Psi Reanimate which it can be use to revive a dead alien, civilian or XCOM soldier under the Sectoid's control. ¹¹.
• Vipers - New version of the Snakemen from the original 1994 Enemy Unkown.
  • True forms of the Thin Men⁴.
  • Has an ability called Tongue Pull where it uses its tongue to pull soldiers closer and out of cover.¹¹.
  • Can constrict soldiers slowly with an ability called Bind.¹¹.
  • Still has the Poison Spit ability of Thin Man ¹¹.
• There are images of Ethereals (although not the actual alien) visible on the announcement trailer.

Modding

• Firaxis plans to release an Unreal Development Kit for XCOM 2 and the editor used to add content, either in November or later.⁷
• There will be Steam Workshop integration to facilitate distribution of mods ⁷.
• It will be possible to "literally make an Enemy Unknown map.”⁷

Media

• XCOM 2 Official Site
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  Tactical - Ranger class (notice sword icon)

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  Sectoid (with human DNA)

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  Sectoid (with human DNA)

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  Advent Administration

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  Avenger - mobile XCOM base

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  Specialist class

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  XCOM squad

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  Advent Captain

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  Sharpshooter

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  Skyranger

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  Viper (snakewoman)

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  Inside Avenger

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  Ranger class

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  Advent Soldiers

• IGN's Articles
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  Sectoid concept

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  Viper concept

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  Soldier concepts

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  Advent City Center (dusk)

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  Advent City Center (rain)

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  Advent City Center (fast food)

• Initial Trailer Captures
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  EXALT's logo?

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  Advent soldier with Ethereal image behind it

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  XCOM Squad at extraction

Sources

• 1 - Official XCOM 2 site [1]
• 2 - IGN's 'XCOM 2 Reveal Trailer' [2]
• 3 - IGN's 'XCOM 2: Welcoming our new alien overlords' video and article/interview with Jake Solomon [3].
• 4 - IGN's 'XCOM 2 Reveal Trailer Rewind Theater' with Jake Solomon and Garth DeAngelis [4]
• 5 - IGN's 'XCOM 2’s Procedurally Generated Maps' [5].
• 6 - IGN's 'Why XCOM 2 had to be PC exclusive' [6].
• 7 - IGN's 'XCOM 2's Exciting Modding Potential' article [7].
• 8 - IGN's 'Meet The XCOM 2 Ranger' article and video [8]
• 9 - IGN's 'Meet The XCOM 2 Specialist' article and video [9]
• 10 - XCOM 2'S Bleak Future: Why Impossible Mode Is Canon - IGN First' article and video interview [10].
• 11 - IGN's 'Meet the XCOM2 Sectoid and Viper' [11]