The Xenonauts 2 release date is now right around the corner, as the classic XCOM-influenced strategy game finally comes to early access on Steam and myriad other storefronts. If you’ve been craving an incredible strategy adventure, Xenonauts 2 has you covered.
If you’re a fan of both old and new-school XCOM, Xenoauts 2 is the exact type of game you should be keeping an eye on. It joins the upcoming Lamplighters League release date as one of the most promising turn-based tactics games of the year, and it’s out in early access real soon.
That’s right, Xenonauts 2 enters early access on Steam, GOG, and the Epic Games Store next month on Tuesday, July 18. The sci-fi strategy game already announced Xenonauts 2 early access at the start of this year, but now we know exactly when it’s coming.
Set in an alternate timeline where the Cold War never ended and aliens have invaded, Xenonauts 2 tasks you with leading a multinational team and constructing a global network of bases to train elite squads and repel the invaders. If you’re a fan of all eras of XCOM, the macro base building and unit management combined with the micro turn-based battle management will instantly feel familiar to you.
It’s not just boots-on-the-ground work either, as you’ll have to work in some real-time aerial combat against UFOs as well. So maintaining your bases for both strategic offense and defense alongside a solid aerial output is key.
Xenonauts 2 also differs from modern XCOM in that there are absolutely no classes, “just soldiers.” You’ll develop skills for soldiers organically, with veterans able to use cutting-edge weapons and armor, and loadouts depending on the skills you invest in earlier on, alongside whatever you have lying around in the armory.
If you played the original Xenonauts though, you can expect a more modern engine, more refined mechanics, and a brand-new setting, as developer Goldhawk Interactive wants it to be “less a direct sequel and more a re-imagining of the original vision.”
While the Xenonauts 2 release date is really close, you might want to bide your time with a wide selection of the best turn-based strategy games on Steam while you wait, alongside some of the biggest free Steam games as well.
