Publisher 2K and developer Firaxis today announced that XCOM: Chimera Squad, an all-new standalone title in the award-winning, turn-based, XCOM tactical series, is currently scheduled to release digitally for Windows PC on April 24, 2020, with a special limited-time introductory price of $9.99.
Set five years after the events of XCOM 2, humans, hybrids and aliens are now working together to forge a civilization of cooperation and co-existence. However, not all of Earth’s inhabitants support the interspecies alliance. City 31, a model of peace in a post-invasion world, is opposed by mysterious groups whose agendas threaten to shatter this delicate interspecies alliance. Chimera Squad, an elite force of human, hybrid and alien agents, must work together to destroy the underground threats driving the city toward chaos.
“We’re inspired by our passionate community and excited by the opportunity to create a dynamic, innovative, and unique XCOM experience for both fans of our games and new players in XCOM: Chimera Squad,” said Steve Martin, President at Firaxis Games.
“With XCOM: Chimera Squad, we felt there were exciting gameplay opportunities yet to be discovered within the XCOM universe,” said Mark Nauta, Lead Designer at Firaxis Games. “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.”
XCOM: Chimera Squad includes the following features:
- Unique Alien and Human Agents: Each of the 11 agents have their own distinct personality and tactical abilities, including species-specific attacks like the Viper’s tongue pull;
- Specialized and Complementary Classes: Execute devastating combos by teaming the right agents and utilizing cooperative actions. The difference between mission success and failure can depend wholly on team composition;
- Re-Envisioned Tactical Combat: Missions are structured as a series of discrete, explosive encounters, keeping the action intense and unpredictable;
- Breach Mode: Players will shape the battlefield to their advantage with a new combat phase that injects squads right into action. They will strategically assign agents to different entry points and coordinate their assault plans with a range of Breach-specific skills;
- Interleaved Turns: An automatic initiative system will slot individual agents and enemies into an alternating turn order, creating new strategic possibilities based on what unit is queued to act next – and what unit is at the greatest risk when they do so;
- Suspenseful Strategy Layer: Outside of combat, players will manage the operations of a high-tech HQ, where they must prioritize competing tasks, investigations and agent assignments in the face of a ticking clock: the constantly rising unrest in the city’s various districts, driving City 31 closer and closer to total anarchy.
Watch the gameplay overview trailer below:
As part of 2K’s XCOM franchise sale that will celebrate the support of its global community, XCOM: Chimera Squad will be available at launch as a single digital download for Windows PC on Steam at the special limited-time introductory price of $9.99. It will be available at its suggested retail price of $19.99 on May 1, 2020.
“We know fans have been eager to dive back into the world of XCOM,” said Melissa Bell, Senior Vice President and Head of Global Marketing at 2K. “XCOM: Chimera Squad offers tremendous value and we’re intentionally lowering the barriers of entry for new fans to the franchise with a game XCOM veterans will really enjoy.”
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