Surprise XCOM spin-off Chimera Squad arrives next week

We’ve been waiting for a new entry in the XCOM franchise to be announced for a while now. Following the announcement that XCOM 2 would be coming to Nintendo Switch in May, fans began to feel like maybe they wouldn’t be waiting long.

We’re not sure even they could have predicted an announcement would come only weeks later.

XCOM: Chimera Squad launches exclusively on Windows PC next week. What should be known from the outset is that it isn’t a fully-fledged sequel, it’s not XCOM 3. It’s a stand-alone entry in the franchise, set several years after the liberation of Earth in XCOM 2. Humans, hybrids, and aliens now have to find a way to live together, and this forms the thrust of Chimera Squad‘s narrative. A specialised squad made up of human, hybrid and alien units, the Chimeras work together to defeat the underground forces that seek to disrupt the new unity between races in City 31.

The game will introduce a few new mechanics to the series, like an interleaved initiative system for combat encounters. Think of the way Dungeons & Dragons has you roll initiative at the top of every battle. This is a very similar concept, and will ideally open up new strategic options. New hybrid and alien units will also let players experiment with new and daring tactics. Breach mode offers Rainbow 6 Siege style thrills, letting players create dynamic entry points on each map to better get the jump on the enemy.

Better yet, the game will arrive on Steam at an introductory price of only AUD 14.97. It’ll stay there until May 1st when it will revert to its standard asking price of AUD 29.95.

XCOM: Chimera Squad launches April 24 exclusively on Windows PC. You find out more about it here.

David Smith

David Smith is the former games and technology editor at The AU Review. He has previously written for PC World Australia. You can find him on Twitter at @RhunWords.