Skip to main content

Anarchy’s Children takes XCOM 2 to Burning Man on March 17

xcom 2 anarchys children details anarchy 1
Image used with permission by copyright holder
If you’ve begun to feel like the ragtag soldiers of your guerrilla insurgency against the alien-controlled Advent government are looking a bit too square, Firaxis has you covered. The first of three announced DLC expansions for XCOM 2, Anarchy’s Children, arrives on March 17, according to a post from the developer. It will add over 100 new customization options to give your troops a distinct look.

As the name implies, the soldier customizations added in Anarchy’s Children are a bit more extreme than those included in the base game. These include new hair styles, face paints, armor, lower face props, decals, helmets, masks, and more, “with menacing tactical styles that run the gamut from post-apocalyptic to the downright deranged.”  Paint-splattered and sporting spiky hair, gas masks, and goggles, the exemplary soldiers revealed in the announcement look to be right out of Fallout’s wasteland (or at least Burning Man).

Anarchy’s Children is included with two additional upcoming DLC expansions in the Reinforcement Pack, which can be purchased for $20. Arriving this summer, Alien Hunters will add new weapons, armor, and missions, including a confrontation with the “Ruler” aliens. Later in the summer Shen’s Last Gift will follow, introducing a new soldier class “with unique upgradeable weapons, armor and customization features,” along with a new narrative-driven mission. Both Alien Hunters and Shen’s Last Gift will also add more soldier customization options. Anarchy’s Children can be purchased à la carte for $5.

Recommended Videos

Can’t wait until March 17? Thanks to Firaxis’ fantastic support at launch, XCOM 2 has a vibrant modding community that has already produced some great additions to the game. For instance, you can give your troops all manner of helmets and accessories, make them look like Storm Troopers and anime characters, sound like Zap Brannigan and GLaDOS, or wear dapper top hats. My personal favorite is this selection of custom face paints that can give your soldiers the signature looks of Princess Mononoke, Imperator Furiosa, or David Bowie as Aladdin Sane, among others. If you play XCOM 2, but haven’t taken the plunge into mods yet, check out the Steam Workshop and you’ll be tweaking the game to your liking in a matter of clicks.

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…
This excellent game about waiting is the anti-WarioWare
A boy waits at an airport in While Waiting.

How much of your life is spent waiting? Think about it. Waiting at the DMV, waiting for a train, waiting for an important phone call, waiting for your perpetually late friend to show up, waiting to grow up. Life is a long endurance test of patience.

That’s the simple thesis of While Waiting, a new puzzle game that’s deceptively emotional. On paper, it sounds like a one-note gag. It features 100 bite-sized levels, each tossing players into a familiar life experience that requires some form of waiting. It’s like the anti-WarioWare, swapping five second microgames for drawn out ones that require virtually no reaction time. Don’t let that light premise take your guard down, though: While Waiting is an ingenious bit of video game storytelling that’ll stick with you so long as you’ve got the patience to see it through.

Read more
One of 2024’s most overlooked games just came to consoles. Don’t miss it twice
A young girl in a white dress looks back. She carries a bag and a bow on her back while holding an orange leaf in her hand.

We are currently in something of a Metroidvania boom. With the genre reaching peak saturation, new releases -- of which there are many -- are forced to expand upon the core formula fans know and love in hopes of standing out. Take the thrilling Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist as an example, which imbues the Metroidvania with RPG systems and a focus on player builds. Momodora: Moonlit Farewell, on the other hand, believes that simple is better.

Originally released in January 2024, Moonlit Farewell is the fifth and final entry in developer Bombservice’s Momodora series. While it might not have any ostentatious additions to the basic Metroidvania formula, Moonlit Farewell’s devotion to a sleek rendition of the genre’s core pillars make it a refreshing adventure. The game went under the radar in 2024 but now, with its release on consoles, Metroidvania fans have the perfect way to tide yourself over until Hollow Knight: Silksong.

Read more
Trading digital Pokémon TCG Pocket cards is a risky but lucrative business
Trade cards in Pokémon TCG Pocket.

After Pokémon TCG Pocket released its controversial trading feature, an odd sort of "black market" has arisen around some of the rarer cards. Some players have started to sell the digital cards on eBay, charging anywhere from $5 to $10 per card. Yes, it's a definite violation of the games' terms and conditions, but the real-money trades are difficult to prove and present little financial risk to the seller  — but don't think it's an easy to line your pockets.

The initial release of the trading mechanic was met with backlash from players. Developer Creatures, Inc promised changes to the way the system works, but provided few details regarding how or when those changes would take place — and while there are restrictions on how trading works, those restrictions haven't stopped players from finding workarounds.

Read more