'XCOM 2: War Of The Chosen' Debuts August 29 For PC, Xbox One, PS4

Firaxis Games and 2K announced that an expansion for XCOM 2 called War of the Chosen will debut on PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4 on August 29.

War of the Chosen will expand on XCOM 2's campaign with new factions, enemies, locations, gameplay modes, and more. The new factions are called the Reapers, Skirmishers, and Templars, and each will offer new heroes who want to help XCOM in their fight against Earth's alien invaders. You're going to need their help; besides a new alien enemy called the Spectre and ADVENT threats like the Purifier and the Priest, War of the Chosen will introduce the titular Chosen, which 2K described in a blog post as the "most cunning enemies XCOM has ever faced."

Those aren't the only changes headed to XCOM 2 with this expansion. 2K said War of the Chosen will introduce new environments, mission objectives, and "regular one-shot community challenges to claim the top spot on the global leaderboard." The expansion will also change up the Strategy Layer, which is where you make the high-level decisions that affect the game's individual fights. You'll now be able to send soldiers, scientists, and engineers on Covert Actions to earn more supplies and Faction Favor, 2K said, and use new Resistance Orders to refine your strategy.

2K said the expansion will also offer greater customization and replayability with these features:

Soldiers can develop bonds with compatible teammates for new abilities and perks. The SITREP system dynamically adds new modifiers to the tactical layer to make sure every mission provides a unique challenge. Advanced campaign options allow for finer adjustments to game length and difficulty.

Note that you'll need the base game before you can grab War of the Chosen, so you have a little while to pick up XCOM 2 if you haven't done so already. 2K didn't say how much the expansion will cost, and its Steam page doesn't offer any information about the price, either.