Happy 10th birthday, XCOM 2, the most brilliant, frustrat...

What’s Happening

Okay so There’s this magical moment that all XCOM 2 players experience.

A member of your elite squad of sci-fi planetary defenders holds their machine gun right up at the face of some alien foe, probably a Muton, and somehow has only a 90 percent chance to hit it. Still, aim immaculate, hands steady, they can’t possibly miss, you think. (it feels like chaos)

Read more Home Features XCOM 2 Happy 10th birthday, XCOM 2, the most brilliant, frustrating game of its time Need more intel.

The Details

Image credit: Eurogamer Feature by Connor Makar Staff Writer Feb. 7, 2026 Follow XCOM 2 There’s this magical moment that all XCOM 2 players experience.

It’s one small component of the wider rollercoaster that is XCOM 2, a brilliant turn-based tactics game from Firaxis dropped 10 years ago. Looking back, while the game does have a solid narrative and top-to-bottom solid design, it’s those hair-pulling events that remain firmly in my mind.

Why This Matters

Proper XCOM moments that define a playthrough. If you’ve not played it, the game champions a linear but meaningful approach to class-based tactical gameplay, allowing you to train your gaggle of end-of-world wastrels across distinct styles of combat. All useful, all strong in their own way.

The gaming community has been watching developments like this closely.

Key Takeaways

• The Sharpshooter, your go-to sniper class, can also be flipped on its head as a pistol-wielding quickdraw fiend in close-quarters fights.
• You can slap on some custom colours and outfits too, making these units your own cast in a man-vs-alien thriller you control - sort of.
• It doesn’t sound like much, but goddam do you get invested in your crew.
• Xcom 2 Developers React to Incredible Speedrun Watch on YouTube You spend dozens of hours with, let’s say, Paul the Grenadier.

The Bottom Line

He’s leveled up to the max and packs the best weapons and equipment at your disposal, but more importantly he’s from Sweden and has the beard to match. He’s a character, not a faceless gun, and that’s key.

How do you feel about this development?