XCOM 2 War of the Chosen Refreshes the 2016 Strategy Game, Out Now on PC

XCOM 2: War of the Chosen expansion for Firaxis' popular 2016 sci-fi strategy game XCOM 2 is out today for the PC, with a later release date for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Here's a quick rundown of everything you need to know about today's release.

About the game

XCOM 2: War of the Chosen is an expansion, meaning you'll need the base game to enjoy the DLC. Priced at $39.99, War of the Chosen essentially overhauls the campaign for XCOM 2, adding new playable characters, new enemies, and new gameplay mechanics.

There are three key additions War of the Chosen makes to the base game including: New factions and hero classes, a new constant enemy unit called "The Chosen", and new missions. This helps playing the game again (the expansion requires a fresh playthrough of the same XCOM 2 campaign) livlier.

New Factions: War of the Chosen adds three new factions, Reapers, Skirmishers and Templars. Each faction includes unique new abilities and backstories that make exploring the game again with them at your side feel new and engaging.

The Chosen: The Chosen are a new set of enemies that act like the Predator. Whether it's the Assassin, Hunter, or Warlock, the Chosen are an incredibly strong constant enemy that drop in during a mission to basically throw a spanner in your strategy game. The only way to permanently defeat the Chosen is to locate and destroy their hidden headquarters, lest they continue to return to decimate you each mission.

New Missions: Along with the revamped base game campaign, War of the Chosen adds new abandoned cities swarmed by a new enemy class known as the "Lost", or the left-behind humans of the alien invasion.

Trailers and videos

Check out the launch for the War of the Chosen here, or take a peek at the expansion's Twitch channel.

Where to purchase

XCOM 2: War of the Chosen is currently available on Steam for $39.99. You'll need a copy of the original 2016 game in order to play the DLC. A release for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One is scheduled for September 12.