XCOM 2 Guide#

XCOM 2 is a turn-based strategy and tactics game developed by Firaxis Games and published by 2K. The story picks up twenty years after the ending of XCOM: Enemy Unknown: humanity has surrendered, and the alien-run ADVENT coalition rules Earth in the name of “order and prosperity.” You lead a rebuilt XCOM guerrilla force, using guerrilla tactics, base management, and technology research to overthrow alien rule. The in-game campaign begins on February 28, 2035.

Every piece of baseline information in this section was written against a fact sheet verified online on October 10, 2026. Anything the fact sheet does not cover — exact unit stats, complete skill trees, per-achievement unlock criteria — is explicitly marked “not covered” on the relevant page; this site does not speculate.

Game Information#

Core Gameplay Loop#

The appeal of XCOM 2 rests on three interlocking loops. Understand these three and you understand what the game actually asks of you:

1. Tactical layer: turn-based squad combat. Each soldier gets 2 action points per turn; cover comes in two grades, half cover and full cover; Overwatch locks down sightlines; Concealment lets you set up a full-squad ambush. Hit chance is a percentage roll determined by weapon accuracy, the target’s cover defense, height advantage, and status effects.
2. Campaign layer: aboard the mobile base Avenger, you clear out compartments, build facilities, schedule research and soldier training, and contact resistance regions around the world for supplies, intel, and personnel.
3. Strategic pressure: the aliens’ Avatar Project advances continuously, and if the bar fills the campaign is lost outright. You slow it down by raiding alien facilities, which forces every mission to be weighed as a trade between “reward” and “time.”

Gear progression runs through three tiers: Conventional → Magnetic → Beam/Plasma. An assault rifle, for example, goes from 3-5 damage to a magnetic rifle at 5-7, then to a plasma rifle at 7-9.

Guide Navigation#

The twenty entries below map one-to-one onto this section’s actual sub-pages:

• Beginner Basics — difficulty differences, starting facilities, first combat lessons
• Story — ADVENT rule, the Avatar Project, and core characters
• Classes — the five core classes and hero class weapon loadouts
• Combat System — action points, cover, Overwatch, and how hit chance is calculated
• Soldier Management — ranks, training, casualties, and bonds
• Gear and Weapons — the three weapon tiers and verified weapon data
• Research — research mechanics, autopsy projects, and technology routes
• Workshop and Facilities — Avenger facility list and build order
• Missions — mission types and Avatar Project management
• Enemies — ADVENT units, alien units, and the boss roster
• Builds — build ideas based on verified abilities
• Endgame — the final mission, Legend difficulty, and the state of multiplayer
• Achievements — the structure of the 88 achievements and verified criteria
• DLC — the six content packs timeline and the expansion in detail
• Advanced Tactics — Legend difficulty and Ironman play
• Base Management — global Avenger management and personnel assignment
• Gallery — categorized names for weapons, enemies, and facilities
• FAQ — common questions on versions, pricing, and multiplayer status
• Tips — practical combat and management tips
• Strategies — ambushes, evacuations, and high-difficulty planning

Classes at a Glance#

The base game has 5 core classes; War of the Chosen adds 3 hero classes, and Shen’s Last Gift adds the mechanical soldier SPARK.

Difficulty and Modes#

All four difficulties can be changed at any time (which may affect achievements); the optional Ironman mode is also available. The widely repeated claim of “Veteran -5%, Commander -10%, Legend -15% hit modifiers” has no source — treat this table as authoritative.

Enemy Roster at a Glance#

Note: the “Floater” that shows up in older guides comes from the previous game, XCOM: Enemy Unknown, and does not exist here. The enemy mechanical units in this game are the ADVENT MEC, Turret, and Sectopod.

Platform Differences at a Glance#

Three Questions for New Players#

Glossary#

Sourcing Note#

This section is maintained by editor Chasun. Key facts — release information, platforms, prices, scores, class and enemy lists, the DLC timeline, achievement structure, and multiplayer status — were verified item by item on October 10, 2026 against Wikipedia, the Steam store page, SteamDB, xcom.fandom.com, UFOpaedia, HowLongToBeat, and Metacritic. Content not yet covered, such as per-unit stats, complete skill trees, and per-achievement criteria, is marked on the relevant pages and will be added after further verification.

Related Games#

• Total War: Pharaoh — an ancient Egypt city-building strategy game
• Factorio — an automation factory-building strategy game
• Total War: Attila — a historical turn-based strategy game
• Total War: Warhammer III — a large-scale fantasy strategy wargame
• Total War: Shogun 2 — a turn-based strategy game set in Sengoku-era Japan

Related Rankings#

Best RPGs · Best Indie Games of All Time: Top 10 · Best Shooter Games

Full Guides#

In-depth sub-guides — beginner basics, story and the Avatar Project, the five core classes and hero classes, combat systems and hit chance, soldier management, gear and weapon tiers, research routes, Avenger facilities and build order, mission types, the enemy roster, the six DLC packs and War of the Chosen, the 88 achievements, and Legend and Ironman tactics — are available in Chinese on NTGame’s XCOM 2 section.