Xenonauts 2

Xenonauts 2 is a strategy game in which players take control of an organisation fighting an alien invasion of Earth. Set in 2009, it takes place at a time when the Cold War is still ongoing. While the two modern XCOM titles from Firaxis and 2K (XCOM: Enemy Unknown and XCOM 2) have modernised and streamlined the genre, attracting many new players in the process, Xenonauts 2 returns to the mechanical depth and unforgiving nature of the original 1990s games. In a sophisticated blend of strategic world map gameplay and tactical combat, players must fight an alien invasion - it's asymmetric warfare against a technologically superior foe - while also dealing with an earlier human threat. They build and expand bases worldwide, manage research and equipment, intercept UFOs with fighter jets, and dispatch ground squads to combat the aliens.

Unlike in the modern XCOM games, players must manage multiple bases around the world (at the Geoscape) and can expand and upgrade them, just as in the classic game. Bases must be strategically placed in order to detect UFO activity across the continents. Without radar, it is impossible to see or intercept the invaders. Bases can and should be specialised by building radar outposts, research centres or hangars for interceptors, for example. New to Xenonauts is the introduction of the Cleaners, a human faction that collaborates with the aliens. They attempt to cover up evidence of the alien invasion and stir up panic. During the initial months of the game, players primarily engage with these human opponents, providing a more accessible yet still challenging introduction before the technologically superior aliens take control of the battlefield. A new political system has also been introduced at the global strategy phase. Using Operations Points, which represent agents' behind-the-scenes activities, players can influence regions, for example by reducing panic or procuring emergency resources. Additionally, players must secure funding region supporters' backing to gain massive financial or research bonuses.

Rapid response units are formed at the bases to respond to detected alien threats, deploy to isolated alien ships, or defend the bases. These soldiers do not have fixed character classes. Their role is determined by their stats and the equipment they are assigned — and while there are many options, these also depend on technological advancements based on the research of alien equipment. In any case, the characters aren't superhuman superheroes, but "just" soldiers with powerful gear who sometimes get killed in the fight against a technologically superior enemy — and that happens quite often, which is hard. Unlike in the first game, soldiers can gain experience passively at the base's training centre without having to participate directly in dangerous missions. It is also possible to integrate alien technology into all kinds of equipment and develop autonomous battlefield combat platforms and sentry guns to assist with forward operations and base defense.

Excellent tactical battles take place in a variety of locations around the world. Unlike in Mutant Year Zero or Jagged Alliance 3, where movement across the map is in real time and switches to turn-based mode upon encountering enemies, they are played entirely in turn-based mode. Instead of a 2-action system, the game uses a Time Unit (TU) system. In modern XCOM games, each unit has two actions per turn. Xenonauts 2 uses a Time Unit system. Every step, shot and kneel costs points, enabling much more precise planning of movements and gunfire (e.g. moving forward slightly, shooting and taking cover again). The tactical battles are more like a military simulation. Projectiles fly through the air and can destroy obstacles or hit friendly soldiers by accident. Cover not only provided a bonus, but also physically blocked shots, though it could be destroyed. Since the player does not know where the enemies are lurking (Fog of War), they must proceed cautiously, square by square. There is also an Overwatch mechanic that is triggered in response to enemy movement during their turn. The same applies in reverse. Speaking of line of sight... If the enemy is visible, it is possible to return fire.

The change to a 3D engine is also noticeable in tactical combat. While the first game relied on 2D sprites, Xenonauts 2 uses a 3D environment with a free-roaming camera, which improves visibility in complex areas. However, the graphics are more functional than attractive — it's clearly the inner values that matter here. The interface has also been streamlined to offer more convenient features, such as a hit probability preview. However, it could still be made more intuitive. And, by the way: Players need to have a certain tolerance for frustration because a 90% chance of hitting doesn't guarantee an actual hit, though there is always the option to manually save at any time.

Last but not least, the aerial combat minigame, which involves intercepting alien spacecraft, has been expanded. Players can control up to three fighter jets in real time (with the option to pause) as they battle UFOs. During combat, players must decide on flight manoeuvres, when to use afterburners and the timing of missile salvos. Afterwards, they can choose to storm a downed UFO (high risk for soldiers, but plenty of resources), or simply secure the crash site from a distance (less profit, no danger). While it fits well into the overall experience, it is the weakest part of the game because, unlike the other components, it is rather 'shallow'.

The challenge and difficulty levels also draw inspiration from the classic. The game is difficult, complex and multi-layered, and it takes time to get used to it. Even on the lowest difficulty setting, if players don't unlock the right technologies in time, they can find themselves in an almost hopeless strategic situation because the threat just keeps getting bigger and stronger. However, victories against the aliens feel very rewarding and exciting, especially since the next mission might bring everything back down to earth. Although there are plenty of difficulty options, it's important for players to know what they're getting into.

Xenonauts 2 is aimed at solo players and features a standard campaign comprising around 20 hours of gameplay and approximately 35 tactical battles. Players who want more combat can start in Advanced Mode, where the option for local troops to complete ground missions 'quickly' and automatically is disabled. The additional cost of completing more than two crash site missions per UFO type has also been removed. Therefore, players must complete more missions to obtain more financial resources. The game is expected to feature over 50 missions and a playtime of more than 30 hours, though the missions may feel repetitive. For the truly hardcore, there is also an Ironman mode where no previous save files can be loaded, and only one save file is updated after every action. Those who want more precision can also customise the difficulty level in Custom Mode with different options.

Xenonauts 2 entered Early Access in July 2023, and has already sold over 160,000 copies. Since then, seven major updates have introduced major changes and improvements to the game, including four new alien races, five new types of UFOs, dozens of new research projects, battlefield equipment and aircraft that can be unlocked, the new Strategic Operations and Supporters systems for the Geoscape, an expanded Cleaner storyline with three unique mission types, two story missions set on an alien orbital station, a two-part final mission and ending cutscene, a visual revamp of the air combat minigame, many new maps (there are now over 180 in the game), modding via Steam Workshop integration and lots of UI, QL and balance improvements.

"Our 1.0 release will not be the end of development work on Xenonauts 2. For the next couple of weeks, we'll be focused on ensuring the game is completely stable and trying to finish up the various smaller improvements we couldn't quite get over the line before release. If you do encounter a bug that affects gameplay, please do report it - we'll do our best to fix it as quickly as possible! Once the dust has settled on the launch, we'll start planning out our post-launch content roadmap and begin work on the modding tools for the community. The game does already support Harmony code modding, but we think it's important for the longevity of the game to make modding as easy as possible (as the numerous excellent mods for Xenonauts 1 showed). We're still not quite sure what form the post-launch content will take, but we like the idea of releasing a mixture of free updates and paid DLC content expansions. Anyway, we'll announce our plans for this when we know more." - Goldhawk Interactive & Hooded Horse

The game is developed by Goldhawk Interactive, a UK-based developer founded in 2011 that focuses exclusively on Xenonauts. The first Xenonauts was released in 2014, and Xenonauts 2 was released in April 2026 after spending almost three years in Early Access. In September 2022, Goldhawk Interactive announced a partnership with Hooded Horse, a publisher of strategic and tactical games. Hooded Horse's portfolio includes Manor Lords, Against the Storm, Endless Legend 2, Old World, Norland, and 9 Kings. The US-based company has a catalogue of over 50 titles and has many more planned for release in 2026. This includes the Early Access launch of Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era from Unfrozen and Ubisoft on 30 April 2026. The game is on over a million wishlists. Then, in May, Mars Tactics by Takibi Games will follow.

Xenonauts 2 was released on 2. April 2026, on PC via Steam, GOG and the Epic Games Store, at a base price of $39.99 / £34.99 / €39.99 / ¥3,980. A 35% launch discount is available until 15 April 2026. The game has been localised from English into German, French, Spanish, Italian, Polish, Czech, Hungarian, Turkish, Ukrainian, Russian, Brazilian Portuguese, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Korean and Japanese.

Conclusion

It's challenging, thrilling, frustrating and complex, yet outstanding. Xenonauts 2 offers a modern take on the classic XCOM games of the 1990s.

Features

• Remains faithful to the original XCOM formula of 1994/95
• Lots of tactical depth in combat and an excellent strategic element in the Geoscape
• Challenging, exciting, frustrating and rewarding all at once