Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2

Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 is the direct sequel to Aliens: Fireteam Elite, which was released in 2021 and had co-publisher Focus Entertainment on board. For the second instalment, however, the development team — Cold Iron, a San Jose-based remote game studio, in collaboration with 20th Century Games — has chosen Daybreak Game Company, a publisher specialising in MMOs, as its publishing partner. Its portfolio includes franchises such as DC Universe Online, EverQuest, The Lord of the Rings Online, Dungeons & Dragons Online, Palia, Magic: The Gathering Online, and PlanetSide 2. These are developed across its four major studios: Dimensional Ink Games, Darkpaw Games, Standing Stone Games, and Singularity 6.

Although Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 is a co-op horde shooter and, although it doesn't quite fit into this MMO portfolio, it is nonetheless consistently designed with multiplayer in mind. Players can set off alone with bots, but this is a compromise as the AI teammates are, to put it mildly, not particularly clever. Therefore, solo players are unlikely to get much out of it, whereas co-op teams certainly will – especially if they enjoyed the previous instalment and can bring the full required number of players, as the automatic matchmaking reportedly takes a long time or they have to rely on AI bots again. The game expands the action from three to four players. While there are some light horror elements, at its core it remains a horde shooter set in the Aliens universe.

The terror stems not from a few powerful enemies, but from the sheer number of them – though players must prioritise the right types in the chaos. This time around, players fight together against a more varied range of enemies, with friendly fire activated on higher difficulty levels. The mission design is rather repetitive: for the most part, players run through corridors, press a button, defend a room against waves of enemies, and then move on, just as in the previous game. The developers could have come up with more varied objectives. Nevertheless, the game does an excellent job of capturing the industrial, gloomy corridors and fog, as well as the classic Alien design from the film – especially when the motion detector signals danger. However, the atmosphere can quickly be ruined by the crew's out-of-place one-liners, which become repetitive all too quickly. In any case, the dialogues are pretty weak.

Additionally, the enemies are more varied. Alongside the classic Xenomorphs, who stalk the corridors, ambush from the shadows and swarm in overwhelming numbers, there are also Weyland-Yutani combat synths. These behave differently, engaging in ranged combat amongst other things. There are also Harbinger Pathogen horrors. Various weapons are effective against the different types. The gunplay is decent and on a par with that of its predecessor, but the game's technical performance cannot keep up with current releases. Characters have barely any facial expressions and sometimes glitch, sliding unnaturally across walls and floors. There are also performance issues on PC and consoles, as well as crashes and bugs. However, these are all issues that the developers intend to address.

On the other hand, the class and progression system is really good. It combines classic character levelling — Marauder, Duelist, Machinist, Hunter and Medic — with a tactical weapon and modification system that culminates in an augment slot for weapons. Characters have a perk board on which players can place perks, such as boosts or altered ability behaviour, like pieces of a puzzle on a grid. In order to become active, many modifications must physically adjoin the main ability on the grid. Then there's the new Specialist class, arguably the biggest innovation in the progression system, which is aimed at long-term players as a lot must be unlocked first. The Specialist class is fully customisable, letting players mix and match major and minor abilities from every available class. Players can experiment with a wide range of options here, depending on the mission, difficulty level and party composition. This is an excellent way to prepare, particularly for the dedicated Horde Mode. However, this mode is only unlocked once the campaign has been completed.

"With Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2, we’re doubling down on the action and the terror, delivering an experience worthy of the Alien franchise. We are all massive fans of the franchise, and we're thrilled to have the opportunity to craft a sequel to Aliens: Fireteam Elite, a game that successfully brought to life the fantasy of colonial marines facing off against the iconic and terrifying xenomorphs. This sequel expands the action to four players, introduces new character classes including a fully customizable Specialist, and takes the fight to immersive new environments across the Aliens universe." - Chris Cross, Game Director for Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2, at the game's announcement

Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 was released on 25 August 2026 for PC (Steam, Epic Games Store), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S, with an SRP of €49.99. Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 – 40th Anniversary Premium Edition is available on the same platforms for an SRP of €69.99. The game is currently only available in digital form. The Switch 2 version will be released in autumn. The 40th Anniversary Premium Edition includes the base game and two DLCs drawing from the broader Alien universe. The Ripley's Hive Exterminator Pack includes a cosmetic outfit inspired by Ellen Ripley's appearance in the climax of the 1986 film Aliens. All player-created characters can wear the outfit. Players can also wield Ripley's modified pulse rifle. Herk's Mondo Pest Pack draws inspiration from the comic-book hero. It includes an outfit and an exclusive weapon: Herk Mondo’s modified pulse rifle. This DLC content is also available as part of the €19.99 Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 – 40th Anniversary Premium Edition Upgrade for players who purchased the Digital Standard Edition. There is also the Rain's Jackson's Star Pack, inspired by Alien: Romulus, priced at €9.99. The Rain Pack includes a modified Cryo weapon, a signature Colony outfit and a full loadout of traits, perks, augments, decals and colourways.

Conclusion

Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 is a solid sequel to the popular co-op action game set in this iconic sci-fi universe, albeit somewhat cautious. However, it is a little too expensive, its missions lack variety, and it still struggles with technical issues.

Features

• Co-op shooter set in the Aliens universe, this time for four players
• Strong class and progression system
• A range of difficulty levels