2K Games and Firaxis Games today announced an entirely new XCOM spinoff game, XCOM: Chimera Squad. The new game is set years after the events of XCOM 2, and follows a hybrid team of humans and aliens as they seek to keep the peace and defeat enemies in a post-invasion city. While the new game absolutely picks up gameplay elements from the previous games, it also goes further by introducing unique characters and upgraded tactical combat.
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In previous entries in the modern XCOM franchise, units were basically randomized nobodies, barring a few exceptions, that players then imbued with names and so on. In XCOM: Chimera Squad, there are 11 different named agents with abilities and personalities all their own. Additionally, tactical combat now includes a breach mode where players indicate where and how they want to enter a scenario with various tactical bonuses or negatives associated with each. Other new features include an interwoven turn order, a new top-level strategy layer, and more.
Welcome to City 31. Humans, aliens and hybrids now live together in a fragile post-war peace but conspiracy groups threaten to upend it all. You must stop them in XCOM: Chimera Squad, a new combat experience in the XCOM universe.
Out April 24 on Steam: https://t.co/CvSTBOcchu pic.twitter.com/zYWirMqomc
— XCOM: Chimera Squad (@XCOM) April 14, 2020
“With XCOM: Chimera Squad, we felt there were exciting gameplay opportunities yet to be discovered within the XCOM universe,” Mark Nauta, Lead Designer at Firaxis Games, said as part of the announcement. “Gameplay like Breach Mode, interleaved turn order, and the introduction of agents as fully fleshed-out characters will revolutionize how the game plays while still retaining the combat experience that makes the XCOM series so loved by gaming communities around the world.”
What do you think of the new XCOM spinoff? Are you excited to play an XCOM game where the characters have actual personalities? Let us know in the comments, or hit me up directly on Twitter at @rollinbishop to talk all things gaming!
XCOM: Chimera Squad is scheduled to release digitally for PC on April 24th for an introductory price of $9.99, though it would appear that the usual price will be $19.99. The spinoff title was not announced for consoles, but if history is any indication, it will eventually come to all of the usual suspects. You can check out all of our previous coverage of XCOM games right here.
