XCOM 2 Mods Coming at Launch as Dev Teams Up With Acclaimed XCOM Modders

XCOM developer Firaxis has partnered with a group of modders responsible for one of the most significant mods for XCOM: Enemy Unknown. As a result, XCOM 2 players will find a number of mods available as soon as the game launches next month.

Firaxis announced the partnership with Long War Studios today. The three-person team of John Lumpkin, Rachel "Amineri" Norman, and James "JCLewis" Karlson were key developers responsible for the Long War total conversion mod for Enemy Unknown and its Enemy Within expansion pack.

Exactly what they're working on for XCOM 2 wasn't shared, but Firaxis said they've got "multiple mods" coming for XCOM 2. Better yet, they'll be available on the day of the game's launch, February 5. As you'd expect, considering how soon that is, details on what the mods consist of will be shared "soon."

The Long War mod truly is a total conversion mod, altering much of the game. It offers an extended campaign, more classes, new voice acting, and much more. Firaxis hasn't shied away from praising it in the past; designer Jake Solomon promoted it on Twitter in 2014, saying it "takes XCOM to a new level."

Arguably what makes Long War so impressive is the lack of proper mod support in Enemy Unknown, something that Firaxis has said it plans to address in XCOM 2. Speaking with GameSpot about offering mod tools last year, Solomon said that "the Long War mod team has done incredible things with our game despite it not being super mod-friendly. I'm confident giving the community proper modding tools is going to result in some fantastic mods."

We don't have long to wait to find out how both the game and its mods turn out with XCOM 2 less than two weeks away. In the meantime, check out our recent look at the game and its difficulty level.