XCOM: Chimera Squad Is "Neither A Sequel Or Expansion," Says Dev

Following a surprise announcement that XCOM: Chimera Squad, a standalone spinoff that takes place after the events of XCOM 2, would release next week, developer Firaxis revealed additional details about the upcoming tactics-based game. Namely that Chimera Squad was not designed to be a direct sequel or expansion, but as an entry point for new players.

"[XCOM: Chimera Squad] is neither a sequel or expansion to XCOM 2, though its story is set after the events of the past games," a Firaxis spokesperson said, in an interview with USgamer. "As reflected in our pricing, we're lowering the barriers of entry to the game and making it easier for fans new and old to check out XCOM: Chimera Squad."

Chimera Squad makes several big changes to the franchise's traditional formula. One of the more noticeable adjustments is having a set squad, a change that Firaxis believes is a natural course for the series. "The decision to move toward having unique agents in XCOM: Chimera Squad was partly driven by some of the choices we made in the War of the Chosen expansion for XCOM 2, where you had characters with distinct personalities like the Chosen, Elena Dragunova, and Pratal Mox," the developer said. "Having your full squad composed of unique characters with unique abilities felt like a natural evolution of those decisions."

XCOM: Chimera Squad is scheduled to release for PC on April 24. Firaxis has said that there are "no current plans" to port the game to consoles. The game will be available on sale for $10 USD at launch--returning to its original retail pricing of $20 USD on May 1.