Welcome Back Commander – XCOM 2 for Xbox One Now Available for Pre-Order
About a year ago you heard, “XCOM 2 is not being made for consoles.” We repeated it over and over again when asked, and at the time, I promise we were telling the truth! But now, thanks to you, tireless internet commenter, tweeter, and trade show fans and friends, we’re excited to finally fulfill your requests. The development team at Firaxis had always hoped that we’d be able to continue the XCOM franchise on consoles, and with the incredible reception upon release and your perseverance in requesting that we bring the sequel to consoles it has been a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Back in 2013, we were humbled and honored by the reception following the release of XCOM: Enemy Unknown and Enemy Within. The team accomplished the daunting task of revitalizing an underrepresented genre and molding it into an Overall Game of the Year winner. But we weren’t satisfied. It became our mission to ensure XCOM would only get better, and that meant listening to our community and making bold, innovative design decisions.
The leadership team asked us a simple question: how can we make the best sequel possible? And it became clear that keeping a laser-focus on the game’s core system and design innovations (and not on losing mindshare to multiple platform overhead) was paramount in making the best possible player experience.
So what did this collective focus bring? If you’re new to the fold in XCOM 2 – you are the Commander of a top-secret paramilitary organization, leading the bravest soldiers and brightest technical minds against an overwhelming alien force. XCOM 2 contains many large-scale improvements to the formula that we established with Enemy Unknown and Enemy Within including an unexpected narrative stage where XCOM has lost the original war and scattered, and now must take the world back as a unified resistance. You’ll now find a dynamic open-ended strategy layer featuring a flying headquarters and innumerable player-choices.
New rendering technology brings higher fidelity visuals that blend the visual flair of an adrenaline-pumping action game with the timelessness of Firaxis game mechanics. Procedural maps and gameplay objectives ensure you never know what experience you’re going to get, every single time you play, and this is the tip of the iceberg in what’s new in the sequel. Now, with our PC version established, the time is here for as many gaming enthusiasts to jump into the fray and take back our planet. But in XCOM 2, the consequences are very real, so please, avoid letting so many of your squaddies die this time.
While working on the PC game, we received extra support from our friends at The Workshop. They helped us stamp out numerous gameplay and visualization bugs, among other things. We were then very happy to have them shepherd the console version of the game to completion. Their experience working with us on the PC version means they know this game inside and out. XCOM 2 is in good hands.
As a lifelong console gamer, continuing this franchise on the Xbox One is a dream come true. Some of my most poignant and surprising game experiences took place on console. I vividly recall my initial foray into one particular game on the original Xbox and how it opened my eyes that an otherwise “PC first” franchise could break striking new ground within my treasured console portfolio. We hope XCOM 2 will bring a similar experience to you.
Pre-order XCOM 2 now before the game’s release on September 6!