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XCOM 2 delayed to February 2016

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Stop! Wait! Breathe! It’s okay, you can last until February 5th for XCOM 2. Today Firaxis have explained that they need “a little more time to make the best possible game” due to all the differences between it and Enemy Unknown. Previously it was announced to be coming out in November this year. Here’s their full explanation:

“We want to give you an update on the release date for XCOM 2. We’ve set a high bar for the sequel and the entire team has been working hard to make sure we deliver a great follow-up to Enemy Unknown. We just need a little more time to make it the best possible game.

“With XCOM 2, we want to have more depth, more replayability, and more investment in your soldiers and this extension will give us the time we need to deliver on our promise to you.”

Okay, we’re all disappointed in a longer wait, but this is very likely actually an incredibly good thing. More time to develop the game is obviously great. However, this year is looking to be one of the most stacked autumn/winter periods in gaming history. Not just in numbers of games, but in their likely quality. The MGS5 starting pistol on Monday will signal a rush of incredible AAA, indie and other games coming out between now and Christmas. Just off the top of my head, I’m excited to play that, Mad Max, Just Cause 3, CoD, Legacy of the Void – the list goes on.

This delay moves XCOM 2 from the center of that scrum out to the early-year dead zone. You’ll have nothing to play by February – though it’s becoming increasingly common that more games do this to get away from competitors. It’s very possible this is the start of a flood of delays. Anyway, spare a thought for the poor Firaxis social media man who has to stay in character while the legions complain and meet back here in February to kill some aliens, yeah?