2K Games has surprise-announced XCOM: Chimera Squad, a follow-up to XCOM 2, coming to Steam next Friday, April 24. Chimera Squad is a smaller, standalone game that’s not meant as a full-on sequel to XCOM 2. The story takes place five years after the events of XCOM 2 where you’ll be leading the titular squad of humans, hybrids and aliens in the fight against those who do not wish this alliance to succeed. Unlike mainline XCOM games, your squad members won’t be procedurally-generated. Instead, you’ll be picking from 11 pre-made agents with their own personalities and unique attacks and combat roles. The game’s smaller scale still has room for a strategy management layer outside of combat, but missions are custom-built for fast action.
Complementing the brisk pace is the new Breach Mode. In it, you’ll get to assign your squad members to different entry points and set up the perfect attack in this new combat phase. The series’ turn-based system is also seeing a major change in Chimera Squad. Firaxis calls it Interleaved Turns, and it allows individual units within both teams to alternate taking turns without having to wait for the full squad. Chimera Squad will be available on Steam for the discounted price of $10/£8.50 until May 1, after which the price will go up to $20/£17. All other XCOM games will also be on sale at the game’s launch and until May 7.
