XCOM 2: Alien Hunters DLC Announced

2K and Firaxis have announced the first non-cosmetic piece of DLC for XCOM 2, Alien Hunters. The DLC, which will be released for $9.99 on May 12, will include a new mission, three new alien types, a few new weapons and armors, and an update to the Avenger’s armory. All in all, it sounds like an underwhelming offering, though maybe it will be exceptional in terms of quality:

Alien Hunters, the second DLC pack coming to XCOM 2, adds exciting new gameplay content to your campaign. Available on May 12 for $9.99 or as part of the Reinforcement Pack, Alien Hunters features a narrative-driven mission, new weapons and armor, a new (Hunter’s Lodge) update to the Avenger’s Armory, plus three new (Ruler) alien units to combat.

These new Rulers, including the Viper King, are quite formidable, Commander. They will show up at random in your campaign, once you’ve completed the new narrative mission, and each will have their own unique behavior and tactics, so don’t expect them to act like their subordinates. If you can’t take out a ruler quick enough, the alien will escape to fight another day. We believe these rulers are incredibly intelligent and are pursuing your soldiers across the globe.

You won’t be without help in this new fight, however, as Alien Hunters also includes four new one-of-a-kind weapons: the Bolt Caster, a high damage single-shot weapon; the Hunter’s Axe, a powerful new blade weapon that can be thrown at enemies or used to dispatch foes at close range; the ShadowKeeper pistol, which has the Shadowfall ability that is guaranteed to hit and will place its user in concealment if the enemy is killed; and the Frost Bomb grenade, which is able to temporarily freeze targets. Chief Shen has asked us to point out that each of these weapons is a prototype, so if a soldier equipping any of these weapons falls in battle, be sure to physically carry them to the Skyranger or else you’ll lose the weapons forever.

On top of the new weapons, there are also three new suits of armor that can be unlocked in Alien Hunters. Each armor set is created from the corpse of a Ruler alien, and provides unique tactical abilities for the wearer. Each unique armor set also strikes fear into the subordinate alien caste. For example, the Icarus Suit is outfitted with powerful boosters that allow its wearer to fly around the map for maximum mobility.

The DLC will be released alongside a new patch for the game and is included in the $19.99 Reinforcement Pack that has been on sale since the game’s release.