Skip to main content

XCOM 2 getting five more official mods from Long War Studios starting today

long war studios more xcom mods xcom2 preview psiop 2
Image used with permission by copyright holder

More official mods for XCOM 2 are inbound, with the first of five new additions from Long War Studios available today.

Long War Studios, founded by the creators of the seminal Long War mod for XCOM: Enemy Unknown, first partnered with Firaxis to develop three official mods that launched alongside the game earlier this year. they were the SMG weapon class, the Muton Centurion unit, and special Leader abilities for soldiers.

The first of five new mods, “Toolbox,” adds a variety of mechanical tweaks for players to further customize their experience. According to the announcement, this includes:

  • Configurable camera rotation in tactical missions
  • Damage variation
  • Random stats for new soldiers
  • Random stats on level-ups
  • UI that shows soldier stats in various menus
  • UI and other support for up to 12-soldier squads
  • Red Fog (a modifier where injuries affect soldier stats)

Following the Toolbox, available today, four more mods will be released over the coming months (no specific time frame has been provided yet). Released simultaneously, the second and third mods will add the “Perk Pack,” which will serve as a soldier class construction kit, and the “Laser Pack,” which will add a new tech tier for all weapons. The “Alien Pack” will follow at a later date, adding 10 new alien foes to the mix. No information has yet been provided about the fifth and final mod.

In addition to the official mods from Long War Studios, and the vibrant community of fans creating content for the game, Firaxis is also supplementing XCOM 2 with DLC. The first of three announced expansions, Anarchy’s Children, added a host of extreme cosmetic customization options for soldiers. It can be purchased a la carte for $5, or as part of the Reinforcement Pack season pass for $20, which also includes two more expansions coming later this year: Alien Hunters and Shen’s Last Gift, which will make more substantial, mechanical additions to the game.

XCOM 2, following up on Firaxis’ fantastic 2012 reboot of the classic ’90s strategy series about defending the Earth from alien invasion, launched earlier this year and is available for PC.

Editors' Recommendations

Will Fulton
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Will Fulton is a New York-based writer and theater-maker. In 2011 he co-founded mythic theater company AntiMatter Collective…
3 Xbox Game Pass games you need to play this weekend (May 3-5)
Senua in Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice.

Another weekend is upon us, and you're probably looking for some games to kill time with over the course of it. We're in a bit of a lull right now ahead of a flurry of releases starting next week, so it's a great time to dip back into the Xbox Game Pass catalog and check out some games that you may have missed. There are three games in particular that I think you should check out this weekend if you're looking for something to play.

One is an unsettling adventure that's getting an Xbox-exclusive sequel later this month. The next is a finely animated roguelike indie that recently made its way to Microsoft's gaming subscription service. Finally, there's a relaxing adventure that gives players a lot of freedom, yet is short enough to beat in a weekend. If you're having trouble deciding what to play this weekend, give one of these games a shot.
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice

Read more
3 underrated PS Plus games you should play this weekend (May 3-5)
The main character of Tales of Kenzera: Zau stands with two elemental items.

PlayStation Plus Premium and Extra have been around for almost two years, and during that time the subscription service has established itself as an ample competitor to Xbox Game Pass. That means there is a wealth of great games for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 owners to check out if they're looking for something to play this weekend. I think PS Plus subscribers should be looking toward some of the more underrated games in the subscription service this weekend too.

I have three particular picks in mind. The first is an enjoyable Metroidvania that came to PS Plus' game catalog when it launched just a couple of weeks ago and deserves a lot more attention than it's getting. After that, there's an action-platformer that pays homage to series like Ninja Gaiden that you should check out before it leaves the catalog. Finally, there's a PS2-era Star Wars game that fills the niche a recently canceled game would have.
Tales of Kenzera: Zau

Read more
If you’re not using PlayStation Stars, you’re missing out
Three phone screens with the PlayStation Stars app.

I wouldn't blame you if you forgot PlayStation Stars existed. In fact, I would guess the majority of people out there have no idea what that even is, but PlayStation's reward program deserves more attention than it's getting.

Launched in the summer of 2022, PlayStation Stars is a program meant to reward players for engaging with the PlayStation ecosystem. You can take on challenges to earn digital collectibles and, more importantly, coins that can be redeemed for games, store credit, and some premium in-game currencies.

Read more