2K and Firaxis Games announced earlier today that XCOM 2: War of the Chosen, the expansion to XCOM 2, the popular, award-winning strategy game, is now available for Windows PC.
XCOM 2: War of the Chosen takes the experience of XCOM 2 and provides players with brand new features and allies to combat ADVENT, who have deployed three deadly new aliens called the “Chosen.” To aid XCOM in its fight to liberate Earth from the Chosen, players will have access to three new resistance factions, each with their own unique Hero class, in addition to new weapons, options to form bonds between soldiers and a new photo booth feature to create custom propaganda posters.
“With XCOM 2: War of the Chosen, Firaxis has developed a series-defining expansion to the award-winning XCOM franchise,” said Matt Gorman, VP of Marketing at 2K. “With a multitude of gameplay advances and new experiences, Firaxis Games has continued to redefine XCOM 2’s endlessly replayable campaign.”
“We can’t wait for fans to get their hands on XCOM 2: War of the Chosen. The array of added features, enemies, and allies give players a completely new tool set to employ tactics and strategies as they dive into the expanded narrative. In addition, we’re excited about the new Challenge mode that will let players hone their tactical skills against other players around the world,” added Jake Solomon, creative director of XCOM 2 at Firaxis Games.
Key features for XCOM 2: War of the Chosen are as per below.
New Factions & Hero Classes
Three additional factions represent pockets of resistance to ADVENT – the Reapers, Skirmishers and Templars, each with its own Hero class can be recruited to stand with XCOM:
o The Reapers are infiltration specialists and stealth marksmen living on the fringe of society. Reapers utilize a powerful weapon called the Vektor rifle, as well as a special Claymore explosive – a targetable incendiary device that, when placed and activated, does not cause the Reaper to break Concealment;
o The Skirmishers are former ADVENT soldiers who have chosen to rebel against their masters. The Skirmisher is an offensive powerhouse, capable of dealing with threats running the gamut from up close to afar, armed with a grappling hook to help close distance and a wrist mounted Ripjack capable of piercing the enemy with deadly force;
o The Templars are a reclusive, monastic group of soldiers that have dedicated themselves to pushing their minds and bodies with psionic energy to the brink of humanity, honing their psionic energy with religious fervor into powerful weapons.
The Chosen
These powerful adversaries are unique ADVENT enemies tasked by the Elders to recapture the Commander at all costs. Masters of asymmetrical warfare, the Chosen will kidnap, interrogate and ultimately kill XCOM’s soldiers. They can even invade the strategy layer and ravage XCOM’s global operations. The Chosen include:
o The Hunter stalks its prey from across the map: tracking, wounding and disabling XCOM units at range;
o The Warlock utilizes a variety of psionic abilities to sow destruction on the battlefield;
o The Assassin are a stealth-based melee unit who prefers to fight at close range, preying upon XCOM units with her katana.
New Alien and ADVENT Threats
Adopt new tactics alongside the new faction allies to counter a deadly new alien known as the Spectre, the explosive attacks of the ADVENT Purifier, the psionically charged ADVENT Priest, as well as the creeping swarms of The Lost.
New Photo Booth
Immortalize your soldiers during their trials by creating customisable war-and-meme-worthy posters that are both sharable and can be found while in game.
New Environments and Mission Objectives
Players can engage in wide-ranging tactical missions, from abandoned cities devastated by alien bio-weapons during the original invasion, to underground tunnels and xenoformed wilderness regions.
Enhanced Strategy Layer
Manage Covert Actions, Resistance Orders, and XCOM’s relations with factions while countering enemy operations from the Avenger.
Greater Customization & Replayability
Soldiers cultivate bonds with compatible teammates for new abilities and perks, while the SITREP system dynamically adds new modifiers to the tactical layer to make sure every mission provides a unique challenge.
Challenge Mode
New regular community challenges featuring unique missions not found in the campaign that rank players on a global leaderboard.
For a look at XCOM 2: War of the Chosen, we’ll be streaming the game on our Mixer channel this weekend!